The Journey Home
by lookatme30022
Summary: Ginny Weasley was declared dead at the age of 16 when she falls through the same veil Sirius Black had only two years prior. But Ginny is not dead. Instead she lands in a different realm, in a place called Thedas. This is the story of her adventure.
1. Chapter 1: Smells Like Wet Dog

The Journey Home

Summary: Ginny Weasley was declared dead at the age of 16 when she falls through the same veil Sirius Black had only two years prior. But Ginny is not dead. Instead she lands in a different realm, in a place called Thedas. This is the story of her adventure.

Author's Note: Never did I ever think that I would be writing a crossover fan fiction. But this idea would just not leave my head, and I found it odd that there were no fics with 'Sirius in Thedas after falling through the veil' in the crossover section (or perhaps I just didn't see them) this story will have Sirius as a main character, but it will Ginny Weasley who is the protagonist. I've always loved Ginny and I wanted to make her the heroine of the story. Needless to say, this is AU for both Harry Potter and Dragon Age canon. It takes place during Dragon Age: Origins, but it will not follow the game (though some parts in the beginning will be straight out of the game, as well as some of the dialogue, with minor tweaks.) This is my first time writing anything ever, so please, leave a review! I would love to hear where I need improvement. Constructive criticism is always welcome!

Disclaimer: I am not associated with either JK Rowling or Bioware. I do not own the rights to either Harry Potter or Dragon Age. This story is for entertainment only; I am not profiting from it in any way.

Prologue: Return to the Department of Mysteries.

Ginny was sure that this was a trap. She couldn't believe that Harry and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix could fall for the same trick twice.

Two years ago, during her fourth year at Hogwarts, Ginny had followed Harry, her brother Ron, and her friends Hermione, Neville and Luna to the Ministry of Magic. Harry had received a vision from Voldemort through their connection, and Harry believed that Sirius had been taken by Death Eaters and was being tortured in the Department of Mysteries. Sirius had not been there. Voldemort had tricked Harry into entering the Ministry, and then sent his Death Eaters to capture them. Ironically, Sirius had been killed attempting to rescue _them. _

Now they were in the same situation. Voldemort had again sent Harry a vision, this time of their friend Tonks, who had disappeared four months ago. Harry and Remus had insisted that they rush to the Ministry to save her. The rest of the Order had agreed, and although Ginny was certain that this was another trap, she had volunteered to follow Harry to the Ministry once again.

And that was how Ginny Weasley was caught in the middle of a gruesome battle, in the odd chamber where the veil was located. Curses and hexes, and their counter-spells, were flying back and forth, Order members were fighting Death Eaters. There were bodies on the ground, some were alive but knocked out; most were dead. Ginny had to step over some of these bodies as she dueled Death Eaters relentlessly.

_At least this time we were better prepared,_ thought Ginny as she stupefied another Death Eater. Ginny and her companions were now more experienced in dueling, and they had planned their mission to the Department of Mysteries more carefully, bringing with them plenty of reinforcements. Unfortunately, the Death Eaters still outnumbered them.

Ginny stepped over the body of a Death Eater as she moved to avoid a killing curse from the wizard she was dueling at the moment. She sent a stunner back in his direction, but the man sidestepped the curse, losing his hood in the process. Lucius Malfoy smirked at her as he threw a cruciatus curse at her.

She didn't have time to do anything. The curse hit her, making her fall to her knees as she screamed in pain. Malfoy removed the curse, and Ginny was left panting, trying to regain her breath.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you, little Weasley," sneered Malfoy as he lifted her up and took her wand. Ginny was weak from the cruciatus, panting and gasping for breath. Suddenly a curse hit Malfoy from behind and he fell.

"Ginny! Are you alright?" Ron rushed to her, Hermione by his side, sending stunners to any Death Eaters nearby.

"I'm fine," replied Ginny. "I just need to get my wand back."

She hadn't noticed how close they were to the Veil that had taken Sirius that night two years ago. She was still disoriented from the cruciatus. Had she realized where she was, perhaps she would have been more careful. Perhaps had she not received such a powerful curse from Malfoy, she would have been able to see his son, Draco, sending a hex in her direction. But Ginny didn't notice as she crawled to where her wand had fallen next to Malfoy, next to the Veil, and the hex connected with her shoulder, throwing her back and through the veil. She thought she heard Ron's voice calling her name for a second.

And Ginny knew only darkness.

Chapter 1: It Smells Like Wet Dog.

"And you just found her lying there, outside the walls?"

"Where did she come from?"

"Her clothes are so odd…"

Ginny groaned. Her whole body ached and her head felt like it would explode. It hurt her ears to hear people talking, and she wished they would go away. She tried to speak to tell them to leave, but was unable to form the words, and another groan left her lips.

"I think she's waking up," one of the voices said.

Ginny opened her eyes slowly. The bright light in the room hurt, and it took a few moments for eyes to adjust. When they finally did, she saw three people, two women and a man, standing around her. She tried to sit up, but one of the women stopped her.

"It's all right, child," she said, pushing Ginny back down. "You were badly injured when you were brought here. It's best if you stay in bed a bit longer." The woman spoke gently, but firmly, as though she were accustomed to give orders and have them followed without question. She was older, Ginny would guess about 50, with graying hair braided and pulled back into a bun, and bright green eyes.

The other woman was a young girl, not much older than Ginny herself, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing what looked like armor made of leather. The man was also wearing armor, but his was metal and looked a bit like the armor sets which decorated the halls at Hogwarts. He had the same brown hair and eyes as the girl, and she figured they must be related, possibly siblings.

"Where am I?" Ginny asked, wincing as she attempted to move again. She felt like she was covered in bruises.

"You are in Castle Cousland," responded the older woman. "I'm Eleanor. What's your name?"

"Ginny. Ginny Weasley," she answered. "How did I get here?"

"Fergus and Elissa found you just outside the wall to the castle," said Eleanor. "Like I said, you were badly injured. We thought for a moment that you might not make it. What happened to you, child?"

Ginny didn't know how to answer. She had never heard of Castle Cousland, and she didn't know if these people were muggle or wizarding folk. She couldn't just tell them about the battle at the Ministry of Magic. And there was something odd about this place. She looked around the stone chamber. It was furnished simply, with a bed, a nightstand, a table and chair made of wood, and a large chest in the corner. The window was a simple opening in the stone wall, and there was a tapestry on the opposite wall, depicting a hunting scene. The images in the tapestry did not move, and there were no magical items in the room. There was no also no sign of modern muggle items either, not that Ginny would have been familiar with how to use them. And the young people in armor scared her. She could see that they were both carrying swords.

No, she couldn't tell these people the truth. At least, not yet. "I don't remember," she lied.

Eleanor looked down at her with pity. "It's all right, child. I'm sure you will remember soon enough."

"It looks like you got hit in the head hard," said the girl. "You may have a concussion."

"Were you traveling with anyone?" asked the man.

"I was alone," Ginny answered him.

"Alone? Bandits must have seen you, thought you were an easy target, and attacked you," he said. "If that's the case, Mother, we must send a few of the men to search the area for these bandits and make sure they don't attack anyone else."

"You are right, Fergus," Eleanor said nodding. "Will you be alright on your own for a few moments, child?" she asked, turning back to Ginny.

Ginny nodded, and immediately regretted it as the pain in her head felt worse. She closed her eyes, and she heard Eleanor, Fergus and Elissa leave the room and close the door silently behind them.

What had happened? Last thing Ginny could remember was reaching for her wand, which Lucius Malfoy had dropped after Ron had stunned him. Then... what happened then? She had felt a pain in her shoulder. A curse or hex must have hit her, and it threw her back. She had fallen to the floor, and rolled back. And she remembered the feeling of soft cloth on her face…

Ginny's eyes snapped open as she realized what had happened in the Department of Mysteries. She had fallen through the veil, just as Sirius had two years ago.

Her family must be devastated. They must think she is dead. Just like Sirius.

Sirius… If she had fallen through the veil and was still alive, then Sirius must be alive as well. But where was he?

Come to think of it, _where was she?_ Ginny needed to learn more. Was she in some remote part of Britain that she didn't know about? Or in another country? Where had the veil taken her? Would it have taken her to the same place Sirius was? Or was Sirius someplace different?

_How would she ever get home?_

She looked around the room, searching for her wand. She was dressed in the gray slacks and white shirt she was wearing when she went to the Department of Mysteries, but her shoes were gone. Perhaps Eleanor had taken them off when she got her into bed. Her pockets were empty, and she found no sign of her wand in the room. She wasn't expecting it to be there…it was probably still on the floor of the veil chamber, or perhaps her parents had gotten it back.

Thinking of her family made her heart hurt. She couldn't bear the thought that they were probably mourning her death, couldn't imagine the pain they must be feeling. But she wasn't dead. There must be a way to contact them, to let them know she was okay. Would they all give up on her without even trying to find her beyond the veil, just as they had for Sirius? Would she be declared legally dead by the Wizengamot just as Sirius had?

She needed to find the way home. But how? How would she find a way back to Britain, when she didn't even know where she was? How was she supposed to find her back when she didn't know where the veil had thrown her, or how it worked?

Her thoughts drifted once more to Sirius. Was he even alive in this place? Had he been trying to find a way home as well? Would they be able to go back?

Ginny knew that she had to first learn about this place. She needed to know where she was, needed to learn how this world worked. And then she had to find Sirius. Together, perhaps they could find a way home. Back to her family. Back to Harry.

Again, Ginny felt an ache in her heart as she thought about her family. And Harry. They had been together, as boyfriend and girlfriend, for almost a year. The last conversation she had with him had ended in a fight, as he refused to heed her warnings about the trap that was waiting for them in the Department of Mysteries. She knew Harry well, she knew he must be mourning her and blaming himself for not listening to her and leading them all once again into Voldemort's trap.

A knock on the door disrupted her thoughts. The girl who was there when she had woken up had returned, this time with a tray of food.

"Oh, good, you are still awake!" Elissa exclaimed. "I've brought some food for you."

Ginny watched as Elissa set the tray down on the table, and then sat in the chair.

"Nan made her famous Ferelden lamb and pea stew," said Elissa. "But Mother thought that may be too heavy for you to eat, so she sent up some broth. I nicked some cheese and an apple from the larder for you, though. Broth is just so plain, not a good meal at all."

Ginny sat up on the bed. "Thank you. And thank you for bringing me here and healing me."

"Well, Fergus and I couldn't just leave you out there for the wolves to eat, "said Elissa, with a small smile. She reached back and grabbed the apple from the tray, and offered it to Ginny.

"Thank you." Ginny grabbed the apple and bit into it.

"You must be hungry," said Elissa. "You were out of it for about five days now. Gave us all a fright. We were starting to think that you might not wake up."

Elissa watched Ginny closely. It made Ginny nervous, but the girl had been one of her rescuers. She looked Elissa over. She was a beautiful girl, her long brown tied back into a braid, and her eyes shone with mischief.

"Mother has ordered everyone to not pester you with questions and allow you time to recover," she continued. "She's concerned that you might have some memory loss due to the blow on the head you received. And she wants you to rest and heal up. I'm sure she'll want to question you herself, though, so be prepared for that soon."

Ginny nodded. "I really appreciate what you and your family have done for me. I'm a complete stranger and yet you've taken me in and taken care of me."

Elissa stood up. "You should eat, and get some rest. I'll send one of the servants up to clear the tray later. I'll also send you clothes, so you can be more comfortable. You look to be about my size. We can talk more once you are well."

Ginny thanked her once more, and Elissa smiled at her kindly, and left her to finish her meal. She ate slowly, thinking about this strange place, and wishing she were home instead.

Elissa had sent an elf to take away the empty tray, and to bring her some clothing. The elf was nothing like what Ginny expected. She had thought it would be a tiny house elf. Instead the elf girl who arrived was a beautiful woman, only a head shorter than herself, with pointed ears that were partly hidden by her long, black hair, and lithe figure. She spoke normally and fluently, calling her Mistress Ginny. Through her, Ginny learned that most of the house servants at Castle Cousland were elves, although some humans, like Nan, also worked here.

The chest of clothing that Elissa had sent was filled with beautiful and expensive gowns, comfortable shoes, stockings, and brand new underwear and night clothes which the elf referred to as smallclothes. The elf drew Ginny a bath in the small bathing chamber across the hall, and then helped her walk to tub.

Ginny felt much better after her bath and small meal, and was much more comfortable in clean clothes, even if the night shirt she now wore did look like it came out of the 13th century. She resolved to find Elissa to thank her for the clothes in the morning. She lay on the bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

Eleanor and Elissa returned the next morning to see how Ginny was feeling. They helped her sit up and Eleanor looked over her wounds. Ginny had a nasty cut and bruise on her head, as well as a few minor cuts on her arms and legs. There was a very large bruise on her torso where she had had some minor internal bleeding, according to Eleanor.

"Well, it looks like you are healing well," she said once she had inspected Ginny's wounds. "I don't think there will be any lasting damage. You will need lots of rest and relaxation for the time being though. So you are to stay in bed unless it is absolutely necessary."

Ginny was not thrilled about having to stay in bed for an extended period of time. Her displeasure must have shown on her face, because Elissa let out a small laugh and said, "Don't worry. I'll bring you some books from the library if you wish so you have something to do."

"Thank you," said Ginny. Books could be a good thing. She needed to start looking for a way home. Perhaps the answer might be in a book, though she didn't really believe that the Castle Cousland would have the book she needed most. "And thank you so much for all those dresses. I promise I will return them as soon as I can."

Elissa waved her off. "I hardly wear those dresses, anyway. Keep them for as long as you like. I much prefer to wear my armor."

Ginny noticed Eleanor roll her eyes. It looked like this may have been a frequent fight between mother and daughter.

"I need to go and tend to some things," said Eleanor. "But if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask. One of the servants will come if you call them, and they'll know where to find me if you need to speak to me. For now, get some rest. I'll send someone up with breakfast for you." Ginny thanked her yet again, and Eleanor left, closing the door behind her.

Elissa stayed with Ginny, making small talk with her until her breakfast arrived, and then she set off for the library to get Ginny something to read. Ginny ate her breakfast slowly, and she was just finishing when Elissa returned.

"I wasn't sure what kind of books you would like," she said, setting three books down on the small table by her bed. "Brother Aldous insisted I bring you some history books. I think he is hoping that you will be a historian like him so he has someone to talk to. And Mother Mallol insisted I bring you a copy of the Chant of Light. I picked out the _The Ballad of Ayesliegh_. If these don't suit you, I can always bring you others."

"Thank you, Elissa," said Ginny. "Really, I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you and your family for all you've done for me."

"Ginny, do you have a place to go?" asked Elissa. "Once you are healed, I mean. Do you have a place to live?"

Ginny lowered her eyes. "I don't."

Elissa pursed her lips. She was quiet for a few minutes, her eyes watching Ginny. It made Ginny a little nervous, like Elissa was inspecting her or something.

"Stay here," Elissa finally said.

"What?"

"You can stay here, in Castle Cousland," Elissa repeated. Ginny was about to protest, but Elissa continues. "I'm not asking you out of charity. I am asking you to stay here, and work for me. You can start once you are better."

Ginny looked at her in disbelief. "Why?"

"Mother has been after me to behave like a proper young lady, "said Elissa. "I need a handmaiden, and you need a place to stay and a way to earn money. I think this is the perfect solution for both of us."

"But you hardly know me. You don't know who I am, where I am from."

"You hardly know me," countered Elissa. "I don't see hiring you any different than hiring any elf girl who comes looking for the position. I won't who they are either. And I trust you to not try to kill me and my family in our sleep, and not just because we've helped you. You seem like you are good person, and you have a strong head of your shoulders. You've woken up in a strange place, surrounded by people you don't know, and you haven't gone in a panic or tried to run away or try to attack anyone. My instincts are telling me its okay to trust you, so I do."

Ginny was stunned. But she could hardly refuse Elissa's offer. She really didn't have a place to go. And she had no idea where to start looking for Sirius, or how to find a way home. "I've never been anyone's handmaiden before," she told Elissa.

"And I've never had a handmaiden before," replied Elissa. "I guess you and I will just have to learn together."

It was nearly three weeks since Ginny's sudden arrival at Castle Cousland before Lady Eleanor decided that Ginny's injuries had healed properly and that she was free to begin her duties as Elissa's handmaiden. Lady Eleanor had been thrilled that Elissa had chosen to hire Ginny, and she provided Ginny with some money from her pay in advance so she could buy anything she needed. Lord Fergus escorted Ginny and Elissa into the city of Highever for a shopping expedition.

Elissa insisted that Ginny take her meals with the rest of the family in the dining hall. Ginny had pointed out that it might be wrong for her, as a servant to the family, to sit with them during meals, but Elissa would have none of that. The other Couslands were very welcoming of her. Teyrn Bryce was a kind and just man, who smiled often and loved to share humorous stories of the war with Orlais. Fergus's wife, Oriana, was from a place called Antiva, where apparently everyone was always getting assassinated. Their son Oren, had fallen in love with Ginny the moment he laid eyes on her, and Oriana was grateful for Ginny's help with the little boy, who was very active and tended to get into trouble often.

Staying at Castle Cousland had major advantages. The Couslands had a large library, with a multitude of books and atlases. She spent a lot of time here, reading and learning about this new place. Brother Aldous, a learned man who had been Elissa's tutor and was now Oren's, was always there, ready and willing to answer any of her questions as well. In this manner, Ginny learned that she was in the country of Ferelden, in the continent of Thedas. Ginny could only assume that Thedas was in a different realm than the UK. Thedas was something out of medieval times, with a feudal system in place in most nations and city-states. The countries of Thedas were always warring. Ferelden had, until recently, been occupied by the Orlesian Empire. King Maric and his general, Loghain Mac Tir, had ended the Orlesian tyranny and made Ferelden an independent nation. Brother Aldous explained that although Ferelden had a king, the newly crowned King Cailan, son of Maric, the real power of the kingdom was held by the noble families. There were the teyrns, the Ferelden equivalent to dukes, then the arls, then the banns. The Couslands held one of the only two teyrnirs in Ferelden, Highever. The other was named Gwaren, and had been gifted to Ser Loghain for his part in the rebellion.

Ginny also learned of the many races in Thedas: There were the humans, who were the dominant race in most of Thedas; the dwarfs, who lived underground; the kossith, who lived in the far away islands of Seheron and Par Vollen; and the elves, who had been beaten down by the humans in a struggle for dominance of Thedas. The elves had once had a great civilization, until Arlathan had fallen and the elves were enslaved. After they followed the prophet Andraste, the elves were given the Dales as a reward, but once again the humans had beaten them into submission. Now the elven population was divided: One group of elves, who called themselves the Dalish, roamed the forests as nomads; another group of elves had settled in cities all around Thedas, and they were treated like second class citizens, forced to live in alienages in housing falling apart and forced to take jobs as servants; in places like Tevinter, elves were sold into slavery.

Of all the things she learned, the most disconcerting and terrifying to her, was the history of magic in Thedas. Everyone in Thedas knew about magic- it was not a secret like in the UK. Humans and elves that held magical ability were called mages. The Chantry, Thedas's largest religious organization, and the most powerful entity, taught that the magisters that had once ruled the Tevinter Imperium using magic as a weapon to keep the people enslaved, had attempted to take over the Golden City from the Maker, the Chantry's only god. The magisters were punished by being turned into darkspawn, awful, soulless creatures that lived underground in the Deep Roads. Darkspawn would eventually find an entity known as an Old God, who would become an archdemon and lead a Blight. A blight could last decades, with the darkspawn attacking the surface and destroying and tainting everything in their path.

Because of this, magic was seen as a curse, and any person with magical abilities was feared. The Chantry had created the Order of the Templars and Circles to keep the mages in check. The Circle of Magi was a place where mages could be sent for training and to learn to control their magic. The Templars watched over the mages, making sure they stayed in the Circle, hunting down apostates, or mages who refused to live in the Circle. The Templars were also tasked with killing any mage who used a type of magic known as blood magic, as well as abominations, mages who had made deals with demons in exchange for something, usually more power.

This was part of the reason Ginny kept her magic hidden. She did not want to end up locked away in a tower. She knew she would be considered an apostate, and that the Templars would not hesitate to take her in. But Ginny was having difficulty with her magic. She had attempted simple spells wandlessly, and could not get them to work. However, in a few occasions, she had been able to conjure small fires, and her fingertips sometimes crackled with electricity. It was unusual and frustrating. She wished she knew why she couldn't use her magic effectively, but was too afraid of becoming a prisoner to search for someone to help her. It was terrifying that she could not rely on her magic to protect herself if she needed it. And so she kept her abilities a secret, even from Elissa.

Ginny quickly adapted to Ferelden, and life in Highever fell into an easy routine. She would wake up every morning and help Elissa get dressed, and then take breakfast with the Couslands. She would follow Elissa to the chapel for a short service. She would then have the morning to research in the library while Elissa trained with the knights and soldiers of Highever, much to her mother's dismay. The afternoon was spent with Elissa, doing whatever the older girl decided. Elissa treated Ginny like an equal and they quickly became friends, laughing and joking as though they had known each other all their lives. The evenings were spent in the Great Hall with all the Couslands, laughing and telling stories, playing with little Oren.

It was a comfortable life, and one that Ginny might have liked if she had been brought up in this place. She felt guilty at enjoying some of her time her while her family was back home, probably frantic with worry, or worse, sick with grief. She knew she should've been focusing on finding a way to get home, but she was scared to ask anyone for help. A suspicious question to the wrong person might land her in Aeonar, a Chantry-controlled prison where mages who had disobeyed Chantry law were sent for punishment.

It was difficult to see the Couslands interacting with each other, and every night Ginny wished she could see her family once again, enjoying lazy evenings playing chess and listening to the wireless. She was desperate to find a way home, and she had to force herself to focus. Her first goal was to find Sirius. She was sure that together they could find a way back.

After almost three months of being in Castle Cousland, Ginny gathered her courage and went to Elissa for help finding Sirius.

"Who is this person you are looking for?" Elissa asked. "Is he a relative of yours, this Sirius Black?"

"Not really," answered Ginny. "He was friend of my parents, and I was hoping he might be able to answer some questions for me."

"About your family?"

Ginny hesitated. She hated lying to Elissa, who was truly the only friend she had in this odd place. "Yes, among other things."

"And you have no idea where he could be?"

"None, though I hope he is in Ferelden."

Elissa sighed. "I won't lie to you, Ginny. Finding him may not be as easy as it sounds. He could be anywhere in Thedas. You don't even know where he's from, just his name and a description."

Ginny bit her lip. She knew finding Sirius would be like finding a needle in a haystack, but she had to try. "I have to find him, Elissa. He may be the only one who knows how I can get home. I need to talk to him. There must be a way!"

"What do you mean he's the only one who knows how you can get home?"

"I mean, he's the only who knows where they are."

Elissa smiled sadly at her. "I know this means a lot to you, so I will have some contacts outside Highever ask a few questions, search in a few places. But don't get your hopes up. This search could last a very long time. In fact, we may not ever find him."

"Thank you, Elissa!" breathed Ginny, relieved. "I know this sounds impossible, but I appreciate your help. I owe you and your family so much already. I don't know how I will ever repay you."

Nearly four more months had passed before Ginny and Elissa received any promising leads on Sirius's whereabouts. Teyrn Bryce and Fergus had gone to Denerim for a Landsmeet, a council of all of Ferelden's nobility where they discuss and vote on important matters of the kingdom. With both men gone, Elissa had spent more time with her mother, helping her run the teyrnir appropriately. It meant that Ginny spent more time helping Oriana with little Oren, a task she rather enjoyed. The little boy was the pride and joy of all the Couslands, bright and happy and playful, though very mischievous. Oren reminded her of the twins. Though she had never known them when they were four, she imagined they had behaved a lot like Oren did now.

Ginny had been watching Oren while Oriana, who was feeling unwell, rested in her chamber. Ginny had taken the little boy to play in the courtyard. Oren insisted on bringing his toy swords, and Ginny was quickly drawn into a mock duel with the boy, who moved fast as lightning.

"Go Oren! Show Ginny what auntie Eli has been teaching you!"

Ginny turned to see Elissa approaching them. Oren took advantage, seeing Ginny distracted, and brought down his toy sword on her arm.

"Ow!" Ginny yelped. She pretended to fall rather dramatically. "Oh, I yield, I yield! O kind Ser Oren, please I beg you to spare my life!"

Oren stood over her and seemed to be considering her surrender. "Okay, Ginny. I'll let you live. But just this once!"

Elissa laughed. "Go on, Oren. Go play on your own for a moment while I speak to Ginny. But don't go where we can't see you!"

Ginny stood and shook her dress out as Oren ran towards one of the knights on duty, no doubt to pester him with questions about his job. "Is something the matter, Elissa?"

"Don't get excited," warned Elissa. "But Fergus wrote that there may have been a sighting of Sirius Black."

Ginny's heart jumped to her throat. She tried to keep calm as she spoke. "Where was he seen? Are we sure it was really Sirius?"

Elissa shook her head. "A man fitting his description was seen just outside of Denerim. The owner of an inn said that the man's name was Sirius, but he did not know his last name. However, Sirius is not a common name here in Ferelden, so it may have been who you are looking for."

Ginny bit her lip. After spending nearly eight months in Highever, she had a real chance of finding Sirius. Perhaps they could finally go home! "I need to go there, Elissa," she said, her voice filled with excitement and hope.

"It's too dangerous to travel by yourself. There are bandits on the roads, and there were some reports that there were darkspawn in Brecilian Forest," Elissa said. "The Grey Wardens are there now investigating, but darkspawn could pop up anywhere. It's better to let Fergus handle it."

"But Fergus won't know Sirius," said Ginny. "I need to go. I need to see him for myself to make sure it is him."

"We don't even know if he's still in Denerim, Ginny!"

"I have to try! Please, Elissa," she begged. "I need to go to Denerim!" No matter how comfortable she was at Castle Cousland, it was not her home. Her home was the Burrow. Her home was her mother and her father, her brothers, her friends. Seeing the Couslands everyday only reminded her that her family wasn't here with her, that she had no way to contact them. That she might not ever see them again. Getting to back to them was the only thing that kept her going in this strange land, it was the only thing that motivated to get up every morning. Sirius hadn't been able to find a way home, but together they would.

Elissa sighed. "Mother is going to kill me for letting you go. You will need a guard. Perhaps Ser Gilmore can take you, and you both can come back with Father and Fergus."

Ginny hugged her friend tightly. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

The older girl patted her back comfortingly. "I will go and talk to Ser Gilmore. You take Oren back to Oriana and start getting ready. You both will leave in the morning."

Ginny gathered Oren's toys, and then led the young boy back to his mother. She made sure that Oriana was feeling better and didn't need her anymore before returning to her small chamber. She began to pack her few possessions. She had been able to return Elissa's dresses when she purchased her own, but Elissa had insisted she keep most of the smallclothes and some of the better dresses. "I can always get Mother to order more, and I hardly wear those dresses in any case," she had explained, handing them back to Ginny.

Ginny hardly slept that night. The excitement at the possibility of seeing Sirius again kept her up, and she ended up pacing the length of her chamber, double checking her bag to make sure she took what she would need, and dressing carefully for the long travel to Denerim.

Finally, dawn came, and with it came a soft knock on her chamber door. She opened it and smiled brightly at Elissa, who was waiting with her new mabari at her side. Ginny was fascinated with mabaris, a breed of dog which was used in battle and as guard dogs. They were massive beasts, ferocious, yet highly social and intelligent. The mabaris chose their owners for life and they imprinted onto the person they chose. Elissa's mabari was still small, a puppy, but he had the potential of being a great dog.

Elissa led her out to the stables where Ser Gilmore was waiting with two horses ready. "Come back with Father's party," she said, hugging Ginny tightly. "And if you find this Sirius, bring him here. I want to meet this man who has you rushing out on me like this."

Ginny laughed, allowing the handsome Ser Gilmore to help her onto one of the horses. "I promise we will be back."

It was a promise Ginny was unable to keep.

_Author's Notes: I know that it seems a little unrealistic for Ginny to adapt to Ferelden so quickly and with so little struggle. My excuse for this is that she's a young girl, so she would adapt faster. Also the wizarding world is far behind from the muggle world, or our world, and Ferelden is as well. So the transition, while not smooth, would not be as difficult. Also I didn't focus too much time in Castle Cousland. I wanted Ginny to meet the Couslands now because they will play a larger role towards the end, but I didn't want to spend too much time here since I want to move on to the rest of the story._


	2. Chapter 2: The Circle of Magi

Chapter 2: The Circle of Magi

The journey to Denerim was not long. They would ride south, then head east on the North Road. It would take them less than a week to get there, but to Ginny, it felt like the trip would take much longer. She couldn't help but get excited over the fact that she might see Sirius soon, and she hoped they could find a way home. She would miss Elissa and the rest of the Couslands, but she missed her family terribly.

Ser Gilmore was a wonderful traveling companion. He knew the way to Denerim well, having made the trip often. He knew much about the places they passed. Ginny had rarely left the safety of Castle Cousland, except for short trips into Highever City when Elissa or Lady Eleanor needed to go shopping. Ser Gilmore's running commentary as he described all the landmarks they passed was a welcome distraction.

On the fourth day of their trip, they came across a fight. A group of three men in shiny armor were fighting with a large group of bandits. From where they were, Ginny could count at least 8 bandits. Ser Gilmore dismounted.

"I must help them," he said. "Take the horses and hide off the path. Don't come out until I say."

Ginny dismounted as well and began to lead the horses, fear gripping her for the first time. She really wished she knew how to work her magic better in this world. Or at least how to hold a sword. Anything to protect herself. She felt like an idiot now for refusing Elissa's offer to teach her to swordfight.

She tied the horses to a nearby tree, and then she moved toward the road again, hoping to see or hear what was happening. Suddenly she felt a hand cover her mouth, and she was being dragged back onto the road. She attempted to scream and tried to kick and slap her captor, but the man was much bigger than her and stronger. She could see where Ser Gilmore was helping the three knights and she tried desperately to call out to him. Her captor was dragging her away from the fight, and she had no idea what the man intended to do with her.

It became clear when his other hand ran over her, and he squeezed one of her breasts painfully. Ginny renewed her efforts to get away, tears now streaming down her face. She closed her eyes tightly and willed the man's hand to stop moving, for him to let her go. When she felt his hand reach under her skirt, she tried urgently to reach her magic.

Everything felt hot around her. It felt like being caught in the middle of a fire. The man screamed and released her, and she dropped the ground and crawled away him. She could smell his flesh burning and she gagged, turning her head away from the sight of him. His agonized screams filled the air. Ginny thought they would never end.

But the screams eventually stopped. The man succumbed to the fire she had set, and there was quiet all around her. She broke down, sobbing in both relief and shame. She had killed a man, in perhaps one of the most horrifying ways. Burning to death. She felt her stomach lurch, and threw up the contents of her stomach.

Her arms gave out, and she lay on the ground. She heard the clinking of metal and hoped that Ser Gilmore was back and that he could take her away from this dreadful place. She needed to find Sirius, and they needed to go home. She wanted her mother. She wanted to lay in her bed at the Burrow, safe and sound.

"She's an apostate!"

Rough hands lifted her and she panicked. She began to struggle against this new assailant. Ser Gilmore stepped forward and laid a hand on her arm. "Lady Ginny, please, it's all right," he said soothingly. "You are safe now. The bandits are gone. No one will hurt you now."

"This girl is a mage! We must take her to the tower immediately!" One of the knights said angrily. Ginny stopped struggling, confused. It was then that she noticed their shields, the symbol of the Templars emblazoned on it. Damn! She had used magic and the Templars had seen it. She was doomed.

"Lady Ginny is traveling to Denerim to meet with the Teyrn of Highever," Ser Gilmore protested. "I have orders to take her directly to him."

"The Teyrn of Highever will understand that we cannot allow apostates to run wild," one of the Templars said. "Even if they are part of his retinue. We need to take her to Lake Calenhad immediately."

"No!" screamed Ginny. "Please no! I have to get to Denerim!" _I have to get to Sirius_, she added silently.

"Quiet, mage!" the Templar holding her shook her a bit. "You will do as we say. We were already on our way to the tower, we shall escort you there."

Ser Gilmore looked like he wanted to argue, to take Ginny away and continue on to Denerim. But then he thought better of it and was resigned. The Templars were right, after all. She was a mage, and one not under Chantry control. It made her an apostate, and it was the duty of the Templars, and all the followers of the Maker, to turn apostates in to the Circle of Magi. "I'm so sorry, Lady Ginny," he finally said, addressing her. "I will continue on to Denerim and tell Teyrn Bryce and Lord Fergus what has happened. And I will send a message to the Lady Elissa, so that she does not worry."

Ginny could do nothing as Ser Gilmore walked away, back to their horses. The Templars led her to their own horses, and she was forced to ride in front of one of the Templars, where he could hold her so she could not run away. She wanted to escape, to run and follow Ser Gilmore into Denerim, find Sirius and leave this wretched world. She thought about using magic again, but she didn't know how to control the fire and she didn't want to be responsible for another man being burned alive.

It took two weeks to reach Lake Calenhad. The Templars had taken turn watching at her night, making sure she would not run away as they slept. Once, she felt the lighting in her fingertips and one of the Templars quickly stopped her magic with a spell of his own. For almost 20 minutes she could not call forth her magic. The Templars had a special ability to negate any magic in an area. It was hopeless. She would not be able to escape.

Lake Calenhad lay quiet and peaceful. The tower which held the Circle of Magi was just in the middle of the lake, and there was only one boat which made the trip to the tower. It was not there when they arrived, and they were forced to wait for its return at the tavern nearby, a place called the Spoiled Princess.

After about two hours, they were able to take the tiny little boat to take them across the lake. The ferryman, Kester, made small talk with the Templars, but Ginny ignored it. She kept her eyes trained on the tower, her prison for who knew how long. Her eyes watered. All she had wanted was to go home. She closed her eyes tightly and wished herself back at the Burrow, surrounded by her brothers, but when she opened them again, they were docking in front of the tower.

Her legs gave out under her, and she refused to stand. One of the Templars, a young man named Cullen, picked her up and carried her in. "It'll be all right, you'll see," he whispered. Ser Cullen had been the one only of her three jailers to be nice and polite to her. The other two Templars barely spoke to her and when they did, they were rude and referred to her as 'apostate'.

More Templars awaited them inside. There was a whispered discussion among them, and finally one of them stepped forward. He frowned when he saw that Cullen still held her, but didn't mention it. "What is your name, apostate?" he asked.

Ginny refused to speak. She shook her head and closed her eyes once more, ignoring everything around her.

"Humph," the Templar scoffed. "Being difficult will get you nowhere here. You can either cooperate, or life here in the Tower will be miserable for you."

Ginny continued to ignore him. The Templar gave a long suffering sigh and ordered Ser Cullen to take her to the apprentice dormitories.

Cullen did as he was told and he set her down on a cot in the corner of the dormitory. "Things really will be better if you work with us," he said gently. "Here in the Circle you can learn to use your magic better, to control it. The Templars are here to protect you, and to help you. I promise you, you are safe here."

Ginny did not really believe everything he said, but she was grateful that for his kindness. "Thank you," she whispered, keeping her eyes closed. She heard him walk away, and she curled up in the cot, finally allowing the tears that had been threatening her all day to fall freely.

Ginny awoke to a small hand shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw a gray haired woman, her clear blue eyes apologetic.

"I'm sorry to wake you, dear," the woman said gently. "My name is Wynne. I am a senior enchanter here at the Tower." A Templar stood behind Wynne, shifting impatiently. Wynne ignored him. "There are a few things we need to do before you can settle down here."

Ginny sat up, her head pounding from having cried herself to sleep. She refused to say anything, but she didn't have the energy or strength to really fight. She looked sullenly at the old woman and the Templar.

Wynne gave a small sigh. "We are going to need a small sample of your blood," she said, pulling a vial out of the pocket of her robe. "This will be become your phylactery. This is what the Templars will use if you turn apostate and run away from the tower."

"And if I refuse?" Ginny couldn't help asking. She didn't want to give the Templars a way to track her if she found a way to escape. She regretted her question immediately.

The Templar's hand drifted to the sword at his side and Wynne tensed visibly. "Will you?" she asked. Ginny looked away, defeated, and held her arm out to her. Wynne grabbed her hand and with a small knife, cut into her palm. Ginny bit her lip in pain, and Wynne collected the blood carefully, before magically healing the wound.

The Templar took the vial and left, his armor clanking loudly as he walked. Wynne sat next to Ginny, and there was an awkward silence. Ginny inspected her hand, seeing no trace of the cut Wynne had made.

"What's your name, child?" asked Wynne.

"Ginevra," she responded.

"Ginevra," the senior enchanter repeated. "That's a very beautiful name. I don't think I've ever heard it before. How old are you, Ginevra?"

"Seventeen."

Wynne took her hand and held it softly. "It'll be a hard adjustment for you. I know you'll miss your family, your friends, and your home. But here in the Circle, you can have a happy life too. It doesn't have to be miserable. You will make friends here, and they will be like your family."

Ginny scoffed. This woman couldn't possibly know what she was going through, and her words of comfort only hurt her more. She wished with all her heart to be back at the Burrow, or Hogwarts, or even Grimmauld Place.

"Come on, dear," said Wynne, standing. "The first enchanter and the knight commander would like to meet you."

Ginny reluctantly followed Senior Enchanter Wynne. They walked through a large library, and the mages sitting there studying looked up as they passed. She felt everyone's eyes on her as she walked, and the Templars standing guard all around the library and at the doorways made her nervous.

"The first floor of the tower is where the apprentice rooms and the library are located," explained Wynne as they walked. "The second floor has the senior mage's quarters, the first enchanter's office, the chantry chapel, and the storeroom. The third floor is the classrooms, the Knight-Commander's office, and the great hall. The fourth floor is the Templar's quarters, and the fifth floor is where the harrowing chamber is."

The door to the First Enchanter's office was opened, and Wynne led her inside. Three men were already inside. Two were wearing robes similar to Wynne's; the other was in full Templar armor.

"First Enchanter, Knight-Commander," Wynne nodded to each of them. "This is Ginevra, our new apprentice. Ginevra, this is First Enchanter Irving, and Knight-Commander Gregoir, and this is Senior Enchanter Uldred."

Ginny stood silently, her body tense, and she made no move to go further into the room. Gregoir huffed at her stubbornness, and crossed his arms in front of him. Uldred drew a chair for her and asked her to sit, but she stood her ground and didn't move.

"Welcome to the Circle of Magi, Ginevra," began Irving pleasantly. "Kinloch Hold is a safe haven to all mages in Ferelden, a place where they live and learn about magic. Here you are protected from the outside world, where your abilities are not fully understood. The Templars are the guardians of the Circle: they protect us from those who would harm us, as well as from ourselves."

"You mean they are the prison guards while we are the prisoners and unable to live free," spat Ginny, giving up the silent treatment approach.

Gregoir bristled at her accusation. "Stupid girl. The Templars exist to protect the faithful from blood mages and abominations, as well as to protect mages from the people who fear magic."

Irving continued his speech to her as though he had never been interrupted. "You will start here as an apprentice. Once your teachers believe you ready, you will go through the Harrowing. If you pass, you will officially become a mage. From there you can become an enchanter, and help the next generation of mages.

"Because you are much older than most of the apprentices, we have arranged for you to have lessons privately at first, with Senior Enchanters Uldred and Wynne. Once they feel ready to integrate you into regular classes, I will give you a class schedule."

"Your curfew is nine o'clock," said Gregoir. "You are expected to be in your quarters by that time every night. When not in class, you are free to go to the library or the great hall. The basement storage and the store room on the second floor are off limits, as is the potions lab off the library. You will be provided with three sets of apprentice robes; you may not wear anything except the robes provided to you. For now, you are not allowed to practice any magic unless Uldred or Wynne are with you, and they shall provide you with lyrium as needed."

"You should not see this as the end of your life, Apprentice Ginevra," said Irving. "Rather, see this as a new chapter in your story. I believe you will succeed here and do great things, if you can bring yourself to embrace this new experience."

Ginny got the feeling that Irving said that to all the apprentices that came through his office. It angered her. Did he not see that she didn't want to be here? That she wanted to be free and far away from this place?

She turned on her heel and left the office, walking as fast she dared. She heard Gregoir calling her back, but no one followed her. She didn't know where she was going. She took the stairs down, and made her way to the apprentice quarters. Tears formed in her eyes, and she angrily swiped them away.

What would her family say if they could see her now? What would they do if they were in this situation? Thinking of them hurt. All she ever thought about was getting home. How would she ever manage it now?

The next day, Ginny was woken up again by someone shaking her shoulder. She was slow to open her eyes, believing it was Wynne back again. It wasn't. A young elven girl with a smile on her face was standing over her.

"Good morning," the elf said. "You are Ginevra, correct? Senior Enchanter Uldred sent me to get you. I suggest you get up quickly and go see him. He can be quite nasty when he's kept waiting."

Ginny got out of bed, unsure of where her new clothes would be. The elf girl must have guessed what she was thinking, and she showed Ginny the large storage drawer underneath her bed. Ginny grabbed one of the robes and a towel and headed for the shared bathroom across the room. She showered and dressed quickly, then made her way back to her bed.

The elf girl was still there, brushing her hair. "So you'll be studying with Uldred?"

"And Wynne," said Ginny. "For now at least, until I catch up to the rest of the apprentices my age."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

The elf smiled. She seemed like too happy a person to be in this prison. "You'll be in my class then," she said. "I'm Neria, by the way. Neria Surana."

"Ginevra Weasley, but you can call Ginny."

Neria nodded. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Ginny. I have to run for a class. I suggest you do the same. You really, really don't want to get on Uldred's bad side. He said he'll be waiting for you in the library." Neria picked up the books on her desk and left, waving at her.

Ginny found Uldred waiting for her by the door to the library. Without a word, he motioned for her to follow him. He led her to a small classroom on the third floor.

"Wynne and Irving may feel that you need some time to adjust to life here," said Uldred after closing the door. "But I don't have the time or the patience to baby you and wait for you to stop wallowing in self-pity. Do not waste the opportunity that is being given to you."

He motioned for her to move aside, and grabbed his staff. He then proceeded to cast a series of spells: He made a large fireball; he turned it into a blazing inferno that burned in the center of the room for a few minutes; fire was followed by an ice storm; lightning filled the room; then the floor of the classroom shook violently, making Ginny lose her balance and fall.

Satisfied that he had thoroughly impressed Ginny with his magic, Uldred put away his staff. "Now let's see what you can do."

Ginny stood up, her legs still shaking a bit. She could not do any of that. She felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment when all she could show Uldred were small sparks coming from her fingers.

"Pitiful," he said. "It's almost not worth having brought you here at all."

"I have magic!" said Ginny, incensed. "I just don't know how to use it."

"Then, pay attention!" Uldred replied. "Absorb everything you are taught here. Prove to me that you are worthy of having magic."

Uldred's words resonated with Ginny. She realized that he was right: She had an incredibly opportunity and her rage at having been dragged to the tower against her will have clouded her judgment. Here she had the chance to learn how to use her magic, and a very large library filled with books about magic and magical objects for her to explore. Perhaps she could find a way back to the UK here, and then she could find Sirius and they could go home. She didn't know how she was going to escape the tower, but she would figure that out once she discovered the mystery of the veil and how to get back through it.

Ginny quickly became a star student. She woke early every morning and studied under Uldred. Her afternoons were spent with Wynne. After classes were over, she spent every moment she could in the library, researching magical objects. She was back in her dorm by nine every night, usually with a small stack of books from the library to read before bed.

Magic here in Ferelden was nothing like magic in the UK. The Fade was a metaphysical realm hidden behind an invisible veil; when a human or elf slept, they entered the Fade to dream. It was from the Fade that mages got their magical abilities, and they could enter the Fade and remain conscious of it. The Fade could be a dangerous place, however, as demons lived in this realm. The demons feed on the darker emotions of the living beings that enter the Fade, emotions like rage, pride, lust, etc. They sought to possess and take control of a living being to enter the mortal realm. The Fade also held benevolent spirits, which helped visitor to their realm.

For the first time since her arrival in Ferelden, Ginny felt a spark hope. If the Fade was hidden from this realm by a veil, it could be possible that beyond the Fade there could be another veil hiding her world. It still didn't answer how she would get home, but it was a start. She began to see her imprisonment at Kinloch Hold as a blessing in disguise.

Wynne insisted on teaching Ginny the Chantry's version of how the demons and spirits came about: The Maker had created them first, but he was unsatisfied by these creations. His first children could manipulate the Fade to their liking, but because they lacked a soul, they didn't have the creativity or imagination they needed to emulate the Maker. And so He turned his back on his children, instead creating a new realm and separating from the Fade with a veil. The spirits looked on the Maker's new creations with curiosity, and some soon became jealous and wanted to cross the veil. These spirits became demons, determined to find a way through the veil.

The very friendly elven mage, Neria, noticed Ginny's sudden determination to gain every bit of knowledge she could, but she insisted that constant study would Ginny crazy. She kept insisting to Ginny that she come and spend time with her and her friends. Ginny finally relented, and one afternoon two weeks after her arrival at the tower, she followed Neria to the great hall to meet with some of their fellow apprentices.

Upon entering the great hall, Ginny immediately noticed that there were more Templars stationed there than usual, even there were not as many people there. This worried her as much as it confused her. She followed Neria to a table where three young apprentices were sitting.

"Noticed the Templars, did you?" said one of them, a handsome, blond man with deep brown eyes. "Sorry about that. They are here to make sure I don't try to run away again."

"Again?" asked Ginny.

"Yes, Anders here holds the record number of attempted escapes," said Neria.

"Seven times," Anders told her. "Last time I made out as far as Highever. Was going to take a ship and cross the Waking Sea. Unfortunately, the Templars arrived before the boat left. But I hope the next time will be my last attempt."

"Could very well be. The Templars may finally get so tired of you they turn you Tranquil." One of the dark haired men with Anders said. Ginny felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She had learned from Uldred what the Tranquil were, and had seen a couple of them around the tower. The Tranquil were former mages whose connection to the Fade and therefore to magic was cut off. They were empty shells devoid of all emotion, dreams, and hopes. They were similar to the victims of the Dementor's Kiss, except that the Tranquil were still able to function without their emotions.

"Everyone, this is Ginny," Neria introduced her. "Ginny, this is Anders, Daylen," she pointed to the dark haired man. "And this is Jowan," she pointed to the third man sitting at the table, a young man with brown hair and a look of anxiety.

"It is truly a pleasure to meet you, Ginny," said Anders gallantly, taking her hand and kissing it gently.

"That's enough of your flirting, Anders," said Neria, sitting next to him.

Anders threw his arm around her shoulders. "Jealous, love?"

"Hardly," she replied, removing his arm from around herself.

"Take a seat, Ginny," said Daylen. He waited for her to sit before asking, "So where are you from?"

"Highever," answered Ginny. "I was working for Lady Elissa Cousland when the Templars found me. Accidental magic."

"An apostate working for a noble family?" said Anders. "I bet the Chantry wasn't happy about that!"

"I didn't know I could do magic, so I could hardly be called an apostate," replied Ginny.

"A technicality," shrugged Anders. "They'll call you an apostate if you don't bend your knee to them and kiss their arse."

"Anders!" chided Neria. "Watch your language, please!"

"So have you decided what school of magic you will study?" asked Jowan, obviously trying to change the subject.

"Not yet," Ginny answered him. "I don't see why I can't study them all." Uldred and Wynne had both mentioned to Ginny that she would have to choose a school of magic to study soon. She could only choose one, even though she would be taught the basics of all four. Each school had its appeal to Ginny: The School of Creation focused on mostly healing magic, the School of Primal was Uldred's specialty, focusing on the destructive powers of the elements, the School of Spirit was the direct manipulation of mana and calling on the benevolent spirits of the Fade, and the School of Entropy focused on the destructive forces of erosion and decay.

"Careful what you say, girl," said Daylen darkly. "An ambitious mage is a dangerous mage in the eyes of the Chantry. Pick a school and stick to it. Don't even show a curious interest in the others."

"My advice," said Anders. "Go for Creation. As a healer, you are more likely to have opportunities to leave the tower. Escorted by the Templars, of course."

"You could become the best healer to ever live, Anders, and they will not let you go anywhere, even if you had the entire Templar order to escort you," said Neria. The others laughed, and conversation soon turned away from classes.

There wasn't much to do at the tower. After classes, you could go to the library to study more, or to the great hall to wait for the next meal. As such, there was not much to even talk about, except gossip about the other people living in the tower, and who was sneaking around with whom, and which of the Templars would be getting reassigned soon because of some infraction.

And so Ginny found herself sitting with Daylen, Neria, Anders and Jowan during meals, and on most nights after dinner. She enjoyed their company, and they were a welcome distraction. She learned that Neria had come from an alienage in Ferelden, but she didn't remember which one. She had been at the tower since she was five, and it was really the only life she knew. It saddened Ginny that Neria knew almost nothing of the world outside the Circle except what she read in books. Ginny thought that perhaps Neria was one of the luckier ones: Without a memory of what it is like to be free of the Circle, she lived in blissful ignorance, and didn't struggle with her imprisonment.

Anders, on the other hand, had not been brought the tower until his early teens. His father had turned him over to the Templars after he set a barn on fire. He hated the tower with a passion that surprised even Ginny. His last escape attempt had ended with a punishment of a year in solitary confinement. He had been allowed back into the apprentice quarters just days before Ginny's arrival. When he wasn't plotting his escape from the tower, he was seducing every mage in sight, male or female, human or elven.

Jowan was quiet and shy. He had also arrived at the tower when he was five, two years before Neria. They had become friends immediately, and Neria was fiercely protective of Jowan, who was always the target for bullies. Ginny suspected that Daylen and Anders only tolerated Jowan because of the elven mage.

Daylen's background was the most interesting among the apprentices. He had been born in Kirkwall to the niece of Lord Amell. Lord Amell blamed Daylen for his failure to become Viscount of Kirkwall and sent him to Ferelden to the Circle. Even though at the Circle no one held titles and had no fortunes, Daylen was popular among the apprentices because of his noble blood.

Now that Ginny had made friends at the tower, she felt a little less lonely, and a little less homesick. She missed Castle Cousland to an extent. She hoped that Elissa and the rest of the Couslands weren't worried about her, knowing that she was in Kinloch Hold. It was her family back at the Burrow that made Ginny's heart ache. But without her realizing, her heart ached a little less each day.

Relearning magic was a real challenge to Ginny. Magic back at Hogwarts was simple, involved more learning words and focusing on the intent of the spell. Magic in Thedas was much more difficult. Not only did Ginny have to focus on her intent and incantations, but also on any runes she needed to draw, on focusing her mana, her magic ability, to power the spell, and at the same time control her mana so the spell would not be overpowering. Even the simplest of spells required all of Ginny's attention, but she had always been quick to learn and it did not take long for Uldred and Wynne to become satisfied enough with her progress.

Two months after she had arrived at the tower, First Enchanter Irving called her into his office. Uldred and Wynne were already there, and thankfully the Knight-Commander was absent from this meeting.

"You have done very well, indeed," Irving began once they were all seated. His eyes twinkled happily and he looked at Ginny with pride. He reminded her of Professor Dumbledore at times. "You've left us all quite impressed. We did not think that you would make so much progress so quickly. Wynne and Uldred believe you are ready to enter classes with the other apprentices. Uldred believes you are ready even to start picking a school of magic to focus on. Have you thought about which school you which to study?"

"I want to focus on the School of Primal," said Ginny. She had wanted to keep studying under Wynne and she thought Ander's advice was sound. She would have more opportunity to leave the tower if she were healer, which would give her an opportunity to escape. But then Ginny remembered the feeling of helplessness that overtook her when that bandit grabbed her on the road to Denerim. She never wanted to feel that way, in this world or her own. She saw Wynne give her a little frown, while Uldred seemed pleased at her choice.

"You will be a welcome addition to my classes," said Uldred.

First Enchanter Irving handed her a schedule. "You'll still be taking some private lessons with Senior Enchanter Wynne, but now you can join your fellow apprentices in class. You will also be required to attend services at the chapel. You now have access to the potions lab and to the restricted library here in the second floor." He dismissed her with a smile, and Ginny left his office, reading her new schedule.

"I am truly very proud of you, dear," said Wynne behind her. Ginny turned and smiled at her. Ginny was truly sorry she had been so rude and short to her when first arrived. While Wynne could be a bit preachy and overbearing, she was a loving and nurturing woman, and Ginny was drawn to her. Perhaps it was because she missed her mother so much, but Wynne became a motherly figure to her, and she was truly happy to be able to continue to study with her.

"Thank you, Senior Enchanter," said Ginny.

Wynne smiled at her, and reached to push back some of Ginny's hair that had fallen out of her braid. "I'm happy to see you that you are finding your place here. I've seen how much you've changed since you arrived. I'm glad to see you are making friends."

"I just wished I didn't have to find a place here," Ginny admitted. "I wish I could be home now, with my mum and dad and my brothers. I have six of them, you know."

"Six boys? Dear Maker, your poor mother must have her hands full with them!"

Ginny giggled. "Yeah. I was the youngest and the only girl. Two of my brothers are twins, and they are the ultimate pranksters. The three of us would get into more trouble than any of the others combined."

Wynne laughed. "Yes, I can picture you being a troublemaker. I know it hurts, but it does get better, dear. Now head on back to your dormitory. You have classes very early tomorrow morning."

Ginny thanked Wynne once more and headed towards the stairs. On her way she nearly ran over Jowan, who was leaving the chapel. "Oh, sorry Jowan," she said, regaining her balance.

"Oh, it's alright," he said, glancing around nervously. "Where are you headed?"

"I just left the First Enchanter's office," she told him. "I am going to be going to classes with you and the others from now on. Are you okay? You seem very nervous."

"I always seem nervous," he said.

"Well, more nervous than usual then."

"I'm sorry, Ginny. It's just been a long day, is all."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe you."

Jowan looked around once more. "All right, come on, we can't talk about it here." He led Ginny to the small alcove outside the storeroom. Owain, a Tranquil who guarded the storeroom, looked at them, but said nothing.

"What's going on, Jowan?" Ginny asked him. His behavior was highly unusual, and she didn't like it one bit.

"It's nothing," Jowan started. "Well, it's something, but it's not a big deal. To me it is, but I can't see how it would be a big deal to anyone else. But no one else can find out."

"Jowan," she interrupted him. "You're rambling, and not making any sense at all."

"I'm sorry. It's just that- Well, I met a girl," he said lamely.

Ginny laughed. "A girl? Well, good for you, Jowan! Who's the lucky lady?"

Jowan glanced around, making sure they were not being overheard. "I can't tell you. It's just that- well, if anyone found out about this, we can both get into a lot of trouble. Please you have to promise me that you won't tell."

"You have my word," Ginny promised. "But why did you tell me then, if this is so secret?"

"Because I had to tell someone!" said Jowan. "It was driving me insane, having to keep the fact that I'm in love from everyone!"

Shy, quiet Jowan, in love with a mystery girl. It was actually rather sweet to see him all flustered like this over his girlfriend. Ginny smiled kindly. "Well, your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone. But you have to promise me that I will meet this mystery woman, okay?"

Jowan gave her a relieved smile. "I promise you I will introduce you soon. Thank you, Ginny."

Life was very dull at the tower. Every day seemed entirely too long to Ginny, who was used to being outside and playing quidditch and swimming in the summer. The mages were not allowed to leave the tower, not even for a short walk around Lake Calenhad, and there were hardly any windows, so Ginny could not even look outside and feel a breeze. It saddened her deeply to see the children running around the tower, and knowing that most of them would not ever know what it was like to run outside with the sun high overhead.

Wynne insisted that Ginny have some basic knowledge of healing, and Ginny could cast small healing charms, but both of them knew that Ginny would not ever make a good healer, even if she had chosen to study Creation. Ginny excelled in the Primal, however, and she was particularly good with fires, leaving even Uldred impressed with her fire casting. Uldred was a difficult man to please, and he hated having to teach at all. So it surprised everyone at the tower, even the Templars, to hear Uldred sing her praises on a regular basis.

Daylen had noticed Ginny's research into magical objects and the veil between the Fade and their realm, and he suggested that when Ginny passed her Harrowing, she could make this subject the focus of her independent study. All mages were required to do independent study before becoming enchanters.

Ginny attended services at the chapel with the others. Although she did not really believe in the Chant of Light like the others, she paid attention to the sermons closely. It always gave her a new insight into life in Ferelden. She had also adopted some of the slang and phrases used by her fellow apprentices, hoping that it would help her blend in and keep the Templars from noticing her.

Ginny and Daylen went to a lot of the same classes together and they usually studied at the library side by side. Neria and Anders had taken to teasing them about it, hinting that the two were doing more than studying. Ginny would turn as red as her hair and Daylen would scowl at them, which only encouraged them to tease them even more.

Six months after her arrival at the tower, and Ginny still found no useful information on the Veil and whether or not she'd be able to use her connection to the Fade to attempt to get back to the UK. She was frustrated and was beginning to lose hope. She began to research other areas of magic with a renewed fervor. Jowan offered to help her research as thanks for keeping his secret, but Ginny could not tell him or explain what she was looking for when she didn't know what it was.

She was sitting in the library again, a pile of books stacked on the table, with more books opened before her when Daylen and Jowan arrived, taking the seats next to her. Jowan was wringing his hands nervously, and Daylen's scowl was deeper than normal.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked them.

"Neria is gone," said Jowan, his voice cracking.

"What?"

"She's been taken in for her Harrowing," Daylen said. "She's been gone all morning."

"Some people never come back from their harrowing," said Jowan. "What if-"

"She'll be back soon," said Ginny comfortingly. "She's a great mage, and I am sure she'll pass the Harrowing and leave the dormitory for one of those cushy mage's room. You'll see."

But for all her words of comfort, Ginny became anxious, and the three of them waited silently in the library for any word of what happened to Neria. Anders joined them for a while, but he was too worried to sit still and he went back to the boy's dormitory to pace, asking them to let him know if Neria came back.

They were still sitting at their table, too worried to focus on their studies, when the Templars began sending the apprentices to their dormitories for curfew. They reluctantly left the library and walked slowly toward the dormitories. Jowan entered the boy's dormitory and joined Anders in his pacing. Daylen lingered outside the door with Ginny.

"She will be okay, right?" Ginny asked him. "The Harrowing isn't dangerous, is it?"

Daylen frowned. "I think if it were safe, it wouldn't be called a Harrowing. But Neria is more than capable. She is the best in her class."

"But she's been gone all day!"

"Get to your dormitories!" A Templar walked down the hall, taking his up a watch post outside the boy's door. Ginny waved good night to Daylen and continued to her own dorm.

Sleep would not come easily. She noticed some of the other girls gossiping, pointing to Neria's empty bed. Ginny tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable. Finally giving up on sleep, she pulled one of the books she had been researching out from under her bed and tried to read.

It was after midnight when a Templar walked in, carrying Neria. Ginny immediately rushed to her bed, pulling back the covers. The Templar, Ser Cullen, laid the elf gently in her bed. Noticing Ginny's worried face, he whispered to her, "She'll be fine, just needs to rest. She passed her Harrowing."

Ginny thanked him, and Ser Cullen walked away. She began to fuss over Neria, taking off her soft boots, and tucking the blankets snugly around her. Neria whimpered in her sleep, and Ginny laid down next her. "You're okay now," she whispered to her. "Just get some rest."

Ginny woke up to some of the girls giggling. She realized she had fallen asleep on Neria's bed, and rolled her eyes, knowing what kind of gossip would be spread around soon. Neria was still sleeping, and Ginny reluctantly left her to shower and dress. She had a class with Uldred, and he was rather nasty if his students were late.

Daylen, Jowan and Anders were waiting for her out in the hall. She held up her hands. "She's fine," she told them. "She passed her Harrowing and now she's getting some rest."

"Oh, thank the Maker!" Jowan sighed, relieved.

Daylen and Ginny left Anders and Jowan in the hall, rushing to get to Uldred's class on time. Uldred gave them a frown when they were the last ones into the classroom. The morning lessons seemed to drag on, and by the time class was dismissed, Ginny was ready for lunch and a nap before her afternoon lesson with Wynne.

Neria was up and eating lunch with Anders and Jowan when Ginny and Daylen reached the Great Hall. She was wearing her brand new mage's robe, and looked much better than she had last night when Cullen brought her to the dormitory.

"What was the Harrowing like?" asked Jowan, once everyone was seated and had congratulated Neria.

"You know I can't answer that, Jowan," she replied. "It's a secret for a reason. But I'm sure that you'll find out soon. They must be getting ready to call you in for yours."

But Jowan wasn't the one to be called for his Harrowing next. To everyone's surprise, Anders was called for his Harrowing just two weeks after Neria. Anders was one of Wynne's best students, an extremely talented healer. It seemed Irving refused to allow his talent to go to waste by making him Tranquil, and Daylen admitted to the others that he had overheard a fight between the First Enchanter and the Knight Commander about it. Irving stood his ground, and Anders received his Harrowing.

This time, the other four stayed in the great hall, waiting for news of Anders. He had been called in in the middle of night, and his Harrowing had taken a lot less time than Neria's. He stormed into the great hall shortly after dinner had been cleared. He had passed, and like Neria he refused to tell them what the Harrowing entailed, but he was furious, and Neria followed him to the mage's quarters attempting to calm him down. Jowan went down to the boy's dormitory, leaving Daylen and Ginny alone. There were a couple of Templars guarding the hall, and some mages and apprentices were sitting playing cards or reading.

"Do you think Jowan will be called for his Harrowing next?" Ginny asked, handing Daylen a pack of cards from her belt pouch. Daylen and Anders had been teaching her how to play Wicked Grace.

"I think he'll be called next, but not for a Harrowing," said Daylen. At Ginny's confused look, he explained further. "The Rite of Tranquility. When I heard Irving and Gregoir arguing about Anders, Gregoir mentioned putting Jowan through it. I think Anders got a Harrowing in exchange for Jowan going through the Rite."

"Oh, Maker, that's awful!" exclaimed Ginny. "Surely there may some way to convince Irving and Gregoir not to do that Jowan!"

"I don't think so. Not unless Jowan starts showing some incredible improvement in his spellwork."

"Jowan's performance has gotten worse lately, but I think it's just that he's nervous thinking of his harrowing."

Daylen shrugged, taking up two cards. They played in silence for a while. Ginny couldn't help thinking of Jowan and his excitement over his girlfriend. If they turned him Tranquil, he wouldn't be Jowan anymore. He won't remember his love for the girl. It sickened Ginny to think about.

One of the Templars gave them warning that curfew was coming up for the apprentices. Daylen picked up the cards, handing them to Ginny. They walked down the stairs to the first floor. Ginny said good night to Daylen outside the boys dormitories and made to leave for her on room, when Daylen grabbed her hand and pulled her back. To her shock, he brought her close and kissed her. His lips felt warm on hers, and she closed her eyes and allowing him to kiss her.

Daylen pulled away. "Just in case one of us gets called next," he said. "I didn't want to go through the Harrowing without doing that." He smiled at her and went into his dorm.

Ginny's face felt hot. She was sure she was completely red. She ignored the knowing smirk Ser Caron, the Templar standing guard outside the dormitories, gave her as she slowly walked past him.

_Author's Note: Next chapter, we will get to meet Jowan's girlfriend, and the story really takes off from there. I hope everyone is enjoying it so far! There will be a little bit more of Ginny's life in the tower in the next chapter, but she will be leaving soon. And I promise Sirius will be making an appearance in the next couple of chapters as well._


	3. Chapter 3: Going Away

A/N: Thank you to my reviewers! I'm glad you are enjoying the story! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had a hard time writing it, but I hope it is as good as the last two. I am rewriting some of the chapters I had ready to post because I had an idea which I think will make the story flow better and make more sense. I hope to have that chapter finished by this weekend. Enjoy chapter 3!

Chapter 3: Going Away

Three days later, Daylen was called for his Harrowing. Ginny had been unable to talk to him about the kiss they had shared. She told Neria about it and the other girl hadn't been surprised at all. "It's so obvious he likes you," she told Ginny. "Maybe you haven't noticed how he looks at you, how he always has a reason to be next to you."

Ginny hadn't noticed at all. However on the day of Daylen's Harrowing, she didn't have much time to think on it.

After morning classes, Ginny found Neria and Jowan outside the great hall. "Anders's run away again!" Neria told her.

"When did he leave?" Ginny asked her. She noticed there were more Templars than usual and that the people in the great hall were whispering to each other excitedly.

"I think he thought he would have a good chance, since the Templars are taking his phylactery to Denerim," said Neria. "Maybe he thought that he could get out of Ferelden before the Templars headed to Denerim could get the warning and turn around to search for him."

Ginny had to admit that it was a good plan, if it worked. But she had learned that the Templars were relentless, and she thought they would be seeing Anders back in the tower soon.

When Jowan, Neria, and Ginny had finished lunch and retreated to the library to wait for word on Daylen, a commotion broke out at the entrance to the tower. They saw a group of armed men and Templars arguing, walking towards the stairs to the second floor. After about an hour, they learned that the men were from the King's army, looking for mages to take down to the Korcari Wilds.

"The Wilds! Surely the army doesn't need mages to fight the Chasind," said Neria.

Petra, the mage that had brought them the news, shook her head. "Not Chasind. Darkspawn! They have been a large group of them down in the Ostagar ruins."

There was a flutter of both panic and excitement through the tower. Irving and the Knight Commander spent the day in the former's office with the king's soldiers. Some of the mages that ventured close said they could hear the arguing from outside. The Templars were in a flurry, yelling at them for even the most minor infraction. Between Anders's escape, Daylen's Harrowing taking place, and the soldiers at the tower, the Templars were worried that more mages would attempt to escape.

They did not see Daylen until afternoon the next day. Ginny breathed a sigh of relief and threw her arms around him, happy to see he had passed the Harrowing. She felt him return the hug, and she pulled away, embarrassed and blushing furiously. They filled Daylen in on the events he had missed while he was gone as they made their way to the chapel for services.

They didn't get a chance to talk more. The moment everyone had taken their seats, the Revered Mother launched into a warning of blood magic. Blood magic is evil, she said, requiring the life force to make spells work. Blood mages, or maleficars, were dangerous, and they must be brought to justice. The Tevinter mages that had entered the Maker's Golden City had been blood mages, and they corrupted the Golden City and were turned into the monstrous darkspawn. Blood mages must be stopped before they destroyed all of Thedas.

Ginny had heard similar warnings from Wynne to stay away from blood magic, but nothing like the Revered Mother's sermon. She felt scared listening to the woman talk, and she felt Jowan tense beside her. Ginny thought blood magic seemed very similar to the dark arts Voldemort and his followers used. Except blood magic oftentimes required someone's life as a sacrifice to work. It sent a chill down her spine.

Daylen noticed Ginny's discomfort as they were leaving the chapel. "Not all of the Revered Mother's sermons are quite so frightening," he said, putting a hand on her back to get her attention. Ginny felt a flutter in stomach at his touch, and she flushed.

As they made their way back to the library, Ginny realized that she had not done any research on how to get home since Neria's Harrowing. She felt guilt wash over her. Daylen's hand on the small of her back made her think of Harry. How would he be taking her 'death'? Was her attraction to Daylen cheating on Harry?

There was nagging thought in the back of her head, one she had not wanted to consider since her arrival but could no longer ignore. Perhaps there was no way for her to get home. Perhaps she would be stuck here forever. Sirius had not been able to find a way back in the over three years since he had fallen through the veil. She knew he would do everything he could to go home. So what if all her searching had been for nothing? Would it be best to just move on with her life here in Ferelden? Surely her family and Harry, considering her dead, have moved on with their lives?

First Enchanter Irving was in the library, and almost every mage was gathering there. Templars lined the wall, in their full armor, looking over the mages. Knight Commander Gregoir joined Irving, and raised his hand for silence.

"I'm sure by now you have all heard about the battle against the darkspawn in the south," began Gregoir. "By order of King Cailan, the Circle of Magi is sending capable mages down to Ostagar to aid the king's army in any way they can. We are looking for volunteers, especially for healers, to accompany a small contingent of Templars and soldiers of the king's army down to the Ostagar ruins. Only mages that are ranked Enchanter and above will be allowed to go."

Excited whispers swept through the crowd. The Knight Commander dismissed them all, telling them to go back to their studies, and those interested in volunteering should stop by the First Enchanter's office.

A week later, a group of about 20 mages and Tranquil left the Tower, surrounded by Templars and led by the Army's soldiers. There was a rumor among the apprentices that the Grey Wardens would be coming to the tower next, looking for recruits.

"What are the Grey Wardens?" Ginny asked Daylen. The two were sitting in his new quarters, his two roommates nowhere to be seen.

"The Grey Wardens are an order of warriors who fight darkspawn," he told her, sitting next to her on his bed. "They were formed during the First Blight, and they have defeated every blight since."

Ginny nodded. She wished she did not flush like some little schoolgirl whenever he was around. "Why did you kiss me?" she asked. _And why haven't you done it again?_ She added silently.

He smirked. "Like I said, I didn't want to go through the Harrowing without having done it."

"But why?"

"I thought that was obvious," he laughed. "I like you. I think I could even love you, in time. You are beautiful, and smart, and you don't get offended at my dark sense of humor. You are the only person I can talk to honestly here."

Ginny thought he might kiss her again, but then Neria and Jowan entered the room, interrupting them.

Life returned to normal at the tower. Ginny and Jowan were the only ones left in their group that still had to go to lessons. Wynne and Uldred had both left for Ostagar, which meant Ginny had less classes than usual. She spent her extra time with Daylen in his room, sometimes studying, sometimes talking, and a few times even kissing when his roommates were not there.

A week passed in this fashion, when Ginny was summoned by the First Enchanter. She was surprised when Ser Caron, the templar sent to fetch her, led her past Irving's office and to the fifth floor. The Harrowing Chamber. Ginny's heartbeat began to race, and she suddenly felt anxious. She noticed the small gathering of Templars, and First Enchanter Irving standing by a fountain filled with the blue liquid she had come to know was lyrium.

"'Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him,'" Knight Commander Gregoir began. "Thus spoke the prophet Andraste as she cast down the Tevinter Emperium, ruled by mages who had brought down the world to the edge of ruin. Your magic is a gift, but it's also a curse, for demons of the dream realm- the Fade- are drawn to you and seek to use you as a gateway to into this world."

"This is why the Harrowing exists," continued Irving. "The ritual sends you into the Fade and there you will face a demon, armed with only your will."

Ginny's hands were sweating, and her mouth felt dry. "What happens if I cannot defeat the demon?"

Gregoir frowned. "It will turn you into an abomination. And the Templars stand ready to slay you should that happen." He ignored Ginny's panicked look and led her toward the fountain. "This is lyrium, the very essence of magic and your gateway into the fade."

Irving noticed Ginny's fear and smiled sadly at her. "The Harrowing is a secret out of necessity, child. Every mage must go through this trial by fire. As we succeeded, so shall you."

"First Enchanter Irving believes you to be ready," said Gregoir. "We shall see how well you do." He took her hand and guided it to the lyrium.

As Ginny touched the lyrium, she felt an overwhelming power thrumming in her veins. She closed her eyes and felt someone grabbing her as she fell back. When she opened her eyes, she was standing in the Fade. This was her first time here when she aware of her surroundings and she looked around in open curiosity. The Fade was odd… there was no other word to describe it. Everything had a discoloration to it, making most of the realm seem greyish or orange tone to it. There were items that she supposed were meant to be imitations of items in the mortal realm, but there was something off about them. They were terrible imitations. There was a statue not far from where she stood, and she supposed that it could have been an imitation of the statues in the great hall, but this one was disfigured.

Wynne had told her during one of their lessons that the Black City lay in the center of the Fade, and that it was visible from any point. Ginny looked around and immediately found a floating area in the distance, dark and dreary. Looking at the Black City gave Ginny a sense of doom, and she quickly averted her eyes. Whether or not the Chantry's version was right, the Black City was terrifying.

Ginny wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. From what Irving and Gregoir said, and the little she had been able to get Daylen to tell her, she figured she must fight a demon. But would the demon come to her, or was she expected to go out and search for one?

"A new apprentice thrown into the Fade, unprepared and uninformed," Ginny heard a voice say. She looked around but could not see the person, or spirit, who said that. The voice gave a long suffering sigh. "Down here!"

Ginny looked down to see a mouse. At least, it looked like a mouse. But Wynne and Uldred had both told her that not everything was at it appeared in the Fade. "Um, who are you?" she asked the mouse.

Before her eyes, the mouse was surrounded with white light, and it suddenly took on the shape of a person. "Welcome to the Fade," the man now standing before her said. "You may call me… well, Mouse."

"Mouse?" asked Ginny. "Not your real name, I hope."

"No, I don't remember anything from before," he said dejectedly. "I was like you once. And like me, The Templars will kill you if you take too long. They will think you failed. And they don't want something getting out. I have no body to reclaim, and therefore no way of going back."

Ginny was skeptical. "You seem to know an awful lot for someone who doesn't remember."

"I've seen it happen before!" Mouse exclaimed. "You are not the first to come through her, sent to battle the thing they have contained here just for apprentices to fight. You have to face the demon and resist it if you can. That's the only way out. Or the demon's. A test for you, a tease for the creatures of the Fade."

"Why pit me against such a creature?" she asked. She wanted to know what exactly this spirit knew, whether or not he had first-hand knowledge and really did remember his life and was lying to her for some reason, or if he had spoken to other apprentices and was a guide of sorts for them.

"A question for those in the tower," he responded. "Maybe you will be lucky enough to ask. Maybe I will."

It was his last words that gave Ginny pause. If he no longer had a body to reclaim, how would he get across to the mortal realm to ask the Templars himself. Unless he intended to claim someone else's body… which is what a demon would do. Wynne had told her benevolent spirits of the Fade would not possess a body, and the spirit of the dead would not be able to take any random body. Perhaps that was Wynne's way of preparing her for the Harrowing?

Somehow knowing that she was speaking to a demon made her feel a bit calmer. She wouldn't spend her whole time wandering out in the Fade waiting for a demon to show, which meant she would not take so long that the Templars became worried and killed her. She had a real chance here, to defeat this demon and leave the Fade. She could end up having dinner with Daylen, Neria and Jowan in new pretty yellow robes.

"You know, three of my friends have passed the Harrowing in the last two months. If you've been here all these time, watching apprentices as they came through the Fade, then surely you've seen them succeed. Surely you know which are the spirits that will help, the ones that will not."

Mouse frowned. "You are a clever one."

"Well, Mouse wasn't really a very creative name," said Ginny. "And you gave yourself away without much prompting."

Mouse's voice became deeper as he spoke, and he began glow. "The real dangers of the Fade are preconceptions, careless trust, pride." He suddenly changed forms, becoming a monstrous gray creature, jagged edges and spikes around its arms and head, sharp pointy teeth glinting in its mouth. Ginny took a step back, calling on her mana to prepare for spell casting. The demon's hands glowed, and Ginny wasted no time in sending a powerful fireball toward him.

The demon was engulfed in the flames, and it let out a horrifying bellow. Ginny quickly followed the fireball with a lightning storm. The demon threw its own spell at Ginny, which she quickly dodged. The training in dueling she had had with the Order of the Phoenix was useful in the battle with the demon, as she ducked and dodged the magic the demon sent her way. She followed with her own spells, which seemed to her to be amplified here in the Fade. She felt her mana draining and touched a lyrium vein nearby, and her hand tingled with her new power in her. She sent another fireball at the demon, which screamed again.

"Enough!" it shouted at her. It started laughing in its terrible voice, its teeth showing. "Keep your wits about you, mage. True tests never end."

The demon disappeared in a flash of white light, and Ginny knew no more.

Ginny brought a hand to her head, pain radiating through her. She felt a warm body pressed against, and she thought for a panicked second that perhaps she had just gotten really drunk and ended up in bed with someone, and had a very odd and detailed dream about a place called Thedas. Then the details of her Harrowing came back to her, and she turned to see Neria sleeping next to her, rather closely due to the small size of the beds in the apprentice quarters.

Ginny was grateful that Neria had returned the favor and stayed with her after her Harrowing. She shook the elf awake. Neria grunted, opened one eye, and closed it again.

"We've gotta stop waking up like this, you know," said Ginny. "People are going to start talking."

Neria giggled. "Then I better get up. Daylen looks like the jealous type." They both laughed. Neria got up and stretched. "I brought you one of your new robes, but you need to so see First Enchanter Irving to get your staff and be assigned a new room."

"Oooh, I get a nice cushy room in the mages quarters now!" exclaimed Ginny, changing her robes. "What time is it?"

"It's morning," Neria told her. "Ser Cullen brought you here during dinner, and you slept the whole night through. I think it's a side effect of using so much lyrium, sleeping so long after."

"Anders didn't sleep after his Harrowing," Ginny reminded her.

"Yea, well Anders was absolutely furious at what the Harrowing was," said Neria. "I think rage kept him going that day."

The girls walked towards the second floor in silence. Talking about Anders made them both sad. There was no word on where he was, but they assumed that since he had not returned the Templars had not caught him yet. There was little consolation in that, however, since it could also mean that the Templars did catch him and killed him for running away yet again.

Ginny peeked into Daylen's room as she passed it on the way to the First Enchanter's office but saw he was not there. He was probably in class, she thought. Neria gave her a hug when they were outside Irving's office. "Congratulations, Mage Ginevra," she said, smiling. "Now go get your room and then come find me."

Ginny waved goodbye to her. The door to Irving's office was opened, and she frowned when she saw Irving was not alone.

"Come in, Ginevra, come in," said Irving, waving her inside. "I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Duncan, the Commander of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden." He turned to the dark haired, olive skinned man in armor seated in front of the desk. "Duncan, this is the mage I was telling you about, Ginevra."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander Duncan," said Ginny pleasantly.

"Likewise. Irving has told me quite a bit about you," replied Duncan, standing to shake her hand.

"Take a seat, Ginevra," said Irving. "Duncan is here in the tower looking for recruits for the Grey Wardens. I'm sure you know all about the war down south in Ostagar."

Ginny sat next to Duncan. "Is it considered a war now? I thought it was just a small band of darkspawn causing trouble in the Wilds?"

"Unfortunately, that is not the case," said Duncan. "A horde has formed, and it is only a matter of time until the archdemon shows. This is truly a blight."

"How can you be so sure?"

Duncan hesitated. "It is part of the Grey Warden power. Our order is one of warriors and fighters, but we possess some special powers which help us fight darkspawn, and the blight."

"Ginny, I have recommended you as a possible recruit to the Grey Wardens," Irving told her.

"What? Me? But I've only just passed my Harrowing. I don't know anything about fighting darkspawn!"

Irving smiled at her. "I know you don't really have any experience fighting, but I believe you to be an extremely capable mage. I am sure that under Duncan's tutelage, you will succeed as a Grey Warden. And you have always been eager to leave the tower. I think you are the perfect candidate."

"I will not lie to you, Ginny. Joining the Grey Wardens is not something to be taken lightly. You will have to prove me that you are worthy of being a Grey Warden. As a Warden you will have to make great sacrifices You will have to be willing to leave everything and everyone behind."

"You came to the Tower much later than your fellow mages," said Irving. "You know more about the world outside these walls, and you will have an easier time adjusting to the life of a Warden than some of the others.

"Duncan will still need to see a demonstration of your abilities and skills," he continued.

"I'm sorry, but I will need your answer now," said Duncan. "We do not have any time to waste. If you wish to accept my offer to join the Wardens, we can proceed to one of the classrooms for a test of your abilities. I must return to Ostagar immediately, and I must take a recruit with me."

Ginny bit her lip. An opportunity to leave the tower without fear of being taken back in by the Templars would not present itself again. However, leaving the tower would mean losing access to the massive library, which might have an answer for her on how to get home.

Besides… She had friends here… Unwittingly, she had found a home here in Ferelden. Uldred and Wynne were more than just her mentors. They, along with First Enchanter Irving, held a very special place in her heart. Neria and Jowan were her best friends. So was Anders, although he was gone from the tower now. And then there was Daylen…

The tower had become her home away from home. Even the Templars standing guard at all times didn't bother her anymore. She even had friends among them: Ser Cullen, Ser Carron, Ser Irminric. She missed her freedom, and she recognized that the tower was a gilded cage, but she had happy memories here. She knew eventually she would leave, to go back home to the Burrow, to her family. But she hadn't realized that it would be so hard to turn away from the friends she had made here.

She would have to leave. She couldn't let the opportunity pass her by. It would be difficult, and she would miss everyone dearly. But the day had to come, sooner or later. Perhaps the Grey Wardens, who also had mages in their ranks, would have a library comparable to the tower's in Ferelden. She had read that the Warden headquarters in Weishaupt had the largest library in Thedas. Perhaps she could find her way there. And perhaps she could use her status as a Grey Warden to help her find Sirius.

Ginny looked up to see Duncan waiting for her response. "I accept," she said.

First Enchanter Irving and Duncan took her to one of the classroom and asked her to show them a number of spells. Duncan seemed fairly impressed at the power of her spells, and was pleased to see that she knew basic healing spells. Irving looked on proudly as Ginny cast spell after spell.

Once the demonstration was over, Irving left to talk to Gregoir about her living the tower.

"Gregoir is not going to be happy," said Ginny, picking up the chairs that had been knocked down at her earthquake spell.

"No, he will not," replied Duncan. "The Knight-Commander is displeased with the King and the Grey Wardens. He is not happy about the number of mages that have already gone to Ostagar, and the King has sent a request for more mages to join."

"Both my mentors are at Ostagar, as well as a number of teachers. It's left the apprentice and junior mages with too much time on their hands, which means there is a lot more rule breaking than usual. Perhaps he's unhappy at the extra work."

"Perhaps," Duncan helped her push a large desk to the wall. "We will be leaving tomorrow morning at dawn. I suggest you spend your last night here saying good bye to your friends, and gathering your belongings. I have two horses waiting at the inn across the lake, which will make the trip considerably quick."


	4. Chapter 4: Ostagar

Chapter 4: Ostagar

The trip to Ostagar took about a week. Ginny hadn't realized how much she missed being outside. She even refused to sleep in a tent at night when they had to make camp. She never wanted to be indoors again!

Ginny came to a terrifying conclusion on the road. She had been in Thedas now for nearly two years now. Most of that time, she had spent at the Tower, researching in vain for a way to get back home. Her family, her friends, Harry… They must all think her dead. They must all have started to move on with their lives. Perhaps it was time Ginny did the same, here in Thedas? If there was anywhere she would find a way home, it would be at the tower, filled with magical tomes and artifacts. If the answer was not there, then perhaps there was no way for her to get home.

It wouldn't be so terrible to stay in Thedas forever, Ginny supposed. She was free of the Circle now. Yes, as a Grey Warden, she would have to fight darkspawn, but back home she would have had to fight death eaters. So perhaps that part was not so different. Maybe it was time for her to let go of the past, and focus on the present. Maybe she should just commit herself to being the best Grey Warden she could be…

As they rode toward Ostagar, Duncan told her quite a bit of the history of the Grey Wardens, though he remained mysteriously secretive about certain things. Duncan didn't sleep much, she noticed, and the few times he did sleep it wasn't a very peaceful slumber.

The ruins of Ostagar came into view on the afternoon of their seventh day on the road. They saw a small gathering of soldiers waiting. Duncan dismounted, and helped Ginny down from her horse. A young elf came up and took the horses away. Duncan led her toward the soldiers.

"Ho there, Duncan!" a man in golden armor came up to them.

"King Cailan!"

"You are finally here! Fantastic! I was beginning to worry you'd miss all the fun!"

"Not if I could help it, Your Majesty."

"Then I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side in battle after all," the king smiled. "Glorious. The other Wardens told me you'd found a promising recruit. I take it this is she?" He did not wait for a response from Duncan, instead taking Ginny's hand and bringing it to his lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my dear lady. Might I know your name?"

Ginny looked at Cailan, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes. He reminded her of Gilderoy Lockhart in looks. She curtsied as she was taught back at Castle Cousland. "My name is Ginevra, Your Majesty. I'm a mage from the Circle Tower. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Cailan smiled. "Life at the Tower must have been dreadfully tedious. I'm sure you will a lot more excitement with the Grey Wardens. And we have too few mages here, which I had hoped to rectify. They have proven to be extremely useful as both healers and warriors. I am certainly glad to have you here."

"You're too kind, Your Majesty."

"I'm sorry to cut this short. But I should return to my tent. Loghain waits eagerly to bore me with his strategies."

"Your uncle sends his greetings," Duncan informed the king. "And reminds you that Redcliffe forces could be here in less than a week."

Cailan laughed. "Eamon just wants in on the glory. We've won three battles against these monsters and tomorrow should be no different."

"Sounds like the blight is almost over," said Ginny.

"I'm not even sure this is a true blight," Cailan frowned. "There are plenty of darkspawn on the field but, alas, we've seen no sign of the archdemon."

"Disappointed, Your Majesty?" asked Duncan.

"I'd hoped for a war like in the tales," Cailan said with a sigh. "A king riding out with the fabled Grey Wardens against a tainted god. But I suppose this will have to do. I must go before Loghain sends out a search party. Farewell, Grey Wardens!" King Cailan turned and walked back towards the main camp, his soldiers following him.

Ginny followed Duncan to a bridge leading into the Ostagar ruins. "The darkspawn horde grows larger each day, even though we have defeated in a number of battles already. They most likely outnumber us by now. However I cannot ask the king to act without proof that the archdemon is behind the horde."

"Why not? He seems to regard the Grey Wardens highly."

"There are not enough Grey Wardens in Ferelden, and reinforcements from Orlais have not arrived. The king believes our legend alone makes him invulnerable. We must go through with the Joining as soon as possible. There are three other recruits waiting here for their Joining as well."

Ginny frowned. "The Joining?"

"Every recruit must go through a secret ritual called the Joining in order to become a Grey Warden," Duncan explained. "The ritual is brief, but some preparation is required. We must begin soon. There is another Grey Warden in the camp by the name of Alistair. Seek him out and tell him it's time to summon the other recruits. I'm sure you will want to rest a bit and have a hot meal before we move on to the Joining. Until then I have business I must attend to. I will see you and Alistair later tonight." Duncan left her in the main camp, unsure of where she should go next.

Ginny figured she ought to explore, see if she could find Wynne and Uldred before finding this Alistair person. There was a small platform erected near the entrance to the camp, where a priestess was standing reciting the Chant of Light. There were a few Templars nearby, and she noticed there was a group of mages working some intricate piece of magic together.

"Ginny?" A very familiar voice asked. Ginny turned and smiled brightly at Wynne, who looked very tired.

"Senior Enchanter! I'm so glad to see you!" Ginny said, hugging Wynne. She had missed her so much since the older mage had left for Ostagar.

"I'm glad to see you too, dear," said Wynne. "But what are you doing here in Ostagar?"

"I'm the new Grey Warden recruit!"

"A Warden recruit? And how did this come to pass?"

Ginny told Wynne how First Enchanter Irving had offered her up as a recruit, the demonstration, and how Duncan was impressed enough to bring her along.

Wynne was silent for a short while. "You should be proud. Duncan does not impress easily," Wynne said finally. "You have learned so much in your short time at the tower. Uldred will be proud to hear that you are being made a Warden. I am certainly very proud of you, though I am saddened to know I will no longer be your teacher."

Ginny nodded. "Thank you, Senior Enchanter."

Wynne laughed. "You are no longer my student in the Circle, my dear. You are now a Grey Warden. It's perfectly acceptable for you to call me Wynne now, I think."

"Yes, Wynne." Ginny smiled.

"Thank you, Wynne," said Ginny.

"Duncan takes his role as Commander of the Grey very seriously. He would not recruit someone if he did not think that that person would make an excellent Warden." Wynne patted Ginny's shoulder. "Now, I'm sure Duncan has better things for you to do than talk to an old woman. I shall see you soon. May the Maker watch over you, my dear."

"May He watch over you," replied Ginny. She left Wynne near the Templars, and went towards the kennels.

There was a man standing there, watching the mabari. He had dark hair and was wearing heavy plate armor. Ginny smiled at him as she approached the kennel to watch the fascinating mabari for moment. She did a double take as she looked at the man's face and recognition began to sink in.

"Sirius?"

Sirius looked up, stunned. "Ginny? Ginny Weasley? What are you doing here?" He looked rather intimidating in his armor. Ginny could see that he had gained weight since he had fallen through the veil, and he looked healthier than ever. His skin was tanned, telling her that he must have spent a lot of time out of doors.

"Oh, Sirius! It is you!" she squealed. She tried to give him a hug, but with his armor, it was rather awkward. "I was thinking that I would never find you here in Thedas, that I would never see you again!"

"But how did you get here, to Thedas?" he asked her.

"Same way you did," she told him. "I fell through the veil at the ministry. I've been here for almost two years! I tried searching for you, but then the Templars caught me, and then I was at the Circle of Magi and couldn't go anywhere, and now I'm going to be a Grey Warden."

"Wait, wait, slow down," said Sirius. "You've got to tell me everything."

They went up a ramp nearby and sat on a bench, not far from where a Chantry sister was praying with some soldiers. Ginny told Sirius everything that had happened since his "death": Dumbledore had been killed by Snape, Harry had been searching for the Horcruxes, the Ministry had fallen to Voldemort, the trap that led back to the Department of Mysteries, and how she had fallen through the veil.

"I spent almost a year in Highever, working for the Couslands," she told him. "They were trying to help me find you. We got a lead that you may have been outside Denerim, and I set out for the city immediately. The guard Elissa sent with me and I were attacked on the road by bandits and I accidentally did magic in front of the Templars, and then I ended up in the Tower. I've been there ever since, and Duncan just recruited me to join the Grey Wardens."

"I've been recruited by the Wardens too," Sirius told her. Ginny's shocked expression prompted him to explain. "I landed in Lothering, not far from here. I worked for the army and helped the Templars there for a bit, and I learned how to wield a sword from them. Then I went to Denerim and worked for the city guard there. I was following a pickpocket, Daveth. You'll meet him soon enough. He tried to steal from Duncan and we ended up fighting. So Duncan ended up recruiting us both. Had to use the Right of Conscription to get us to follow him."

"It's crazy how things work out," said Ginny, letting out a nervous, giddy laugh. "This was the last place I ever expected to find you! But I don't understand something: you said you worked with Templars. How did they never find out about your magic?"

"It's because I don't have any," he said bitterly. "For some reason, I can't cast any kind of spells of any kind."

"I can't believe it! Do you think it was the Veil that removed your magical ability?"

"I'm not sure. But it allowed you to keep yours. So maybe it's something else."

Ginny sighed. "I wish I could tell you I found something useful that will help us get back home, but I can't. I searched and searched at the tower's library. I thought that I would find something there."

They sat in silence for a while, watching the camp. There was a makeshift hospital not far, and Ginny could see the healers working on some injured soldiers. She could hear the words to the Chant of Light from where the Chantry sister was reciting them. Even though she did not believe in the Maker, she had learned the Chant. It was soothing in a way, familiar.

"Duncan sent me to find Alistair," Ginny told Sirius. "I'm supposed to have him gather the rest of the recruits and meet him in the Grey Warden tent."

Sirius nodded. "I saw Alistair going up to the old temple, past where the quartermaster is. I guess I'll head back to Duncan while you get Alistair then."

"We will talk more after the Joining, right?"

"Yeah," Sirius stood. "Go ahead and get Alistair. I'll see you in a bit." The two separated and Ginny went in the direction Sirius had pointed to.

Finding Sirius was really the best thing that had happened here in Thedas. She was not sure how they would get back home, especially now that they no longer had access to magical books to look through. She would most likely never be able to return to the Circle. Gregoir had been so furious when she left with Duncan. She had read that the Dalish tribes were not only more tolerant of magic, but actually chose leaders based on their magical ability. Perhaps the Dalish had some secret knowledge that might help them, but they were not friendly to humans, and she had never seen a Dalish elf. She would have to mention it to Sirius.

As Ginny walked up the ramp leading to the old temple, she heard two men arguing. She recognized one of the voices: a senior mage whose name escaped her at the moment, but who she had seen with Uldred on multiple occasions. He was arguing with a young man with light brown hair wearing chainmail.

"What is it now?" asked the mage, obviously irritated. "Haven't the Grey Wardens asked more than enough of the circle?"

"I simply came to deliver a message from the revered mother, ser mage," said the man. "She desires your presence."

"What her reverence desires is of no concern to me. I am busy helping the Grey Wardens- by order of the king, I might add."

"Should I have asked her to write a note?"

"Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!" The mage sounded extremely angry.

"Yes, I was harassing you by delivering a message."

"Your glibness does you no credit!"

"And here I thought we were getting along so well," said the man sarcastically. "I was even going to name one of my children after you, the grumpy one."

"Enough! I will speak to the woman if I must. Get out of my way, fool!" The mage swept past Ginny, nearly knocking her down. She turned to see the young man smiling at her.

"You know, one good thing about the blight is how it brings people together," he said.

"I can see exactly what you mean," said Ginny.

"It's like a party!" he continued. "We could all stand in a circle and hold hands. That will give the darkspawn something to think about. Wait, we haven't met yet, have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another mage?"

Ginny knew he must know that she was, in fact, a mage. The robes were a dead giveaway. She decided to ignore his question. "We haven't met. Are you Alistair?"

"Yes," Alistair nodded. "And you must be Duncan's new recruit from the Circle. Glad to meet you. As the junior member of the order, I will be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining. You know, it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is."

Ginny laughed. "You want more women in the wardens, do you?"

"Would that be so terrible? Not that I'm some drooling lecher or anything. Please stop looking at me like that." Alistair flushed a bright red, making Ginny laugh at him some more.

"I look forward to traveling with you," she admitted. She really did. This Alistair person was funny, and she took a liking to him immediately.

"You do?" he asked, skeptical. "Huh. That's a switch. Anyway, let's get back to Duncan. I expect that he'll want us to gather the rest of recruits as well."

"Yes. I already saw Sirius. He was on his way to the Grey Warden tent when I came to find you."

"Oh, you met Sirius already? Excellent!"

"So what was that argument with the mage about?" she asked.

"Oh, the Circle is here at the king's request," he said. "I suppose you know that already. But the Chantry doesn't like it one bit. And they just love letting the mages know how unwelcome they are. Which puts me in a bit of an awkward position. I was once a Templar."

"You were a mage hunter?"

"No, no! I never actually took vows!" he said quickly. "I was being trained as a Templar. Duncan recruited me six months ago. Had to use the Right of Conscription to let the Revered Mother let me go, too. But most of the mages here don't see the difference. And I'm sure that the revered mother meant it as an insult- sending me as her messenger- and the mage picked right up on that. I never would have agreed to deliver it, but Duncan says we are all supposed to cooperate and get along. Apparently, they didn't get the same speech."

Ginny followed Alistair down to the main camp. They found Daveth, the pickpocket that Sirius told her about, attempting to flirt with a female soldier near the quartermaster. Ser Jory, a serious knight from Redcliffe, had been praying with the Chantry sister. They found him on the way to the Grey Warden tent. The four of them joined Duncan and Sirius in front of the fire that was set up next to the large tent.

"Good, you are all here now," said Duncan. "I assume you are ready to being preparations. Assuming of course, that you are quite finished riling up mages, Alistair?"

"What can I say?" responded Alistair. "The revered mother ambushed me. The way she wields guilt, they should stick her in the army."

"She forced you to sass the mages, did she? We cannot afford to antagonize anyone, Alistair. We don't need to give anyone more ammunition against us," the commander chided him.

Alistair looked at him sheepishly. "You are right, Duncan. I apologize."

"Now then, we can begin," Duncan told the rest of the group. "You all will be heading into the Korcari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first is to obtain four vials of darkspawn blood. One for each of you. The second task will be a lot simpler: there was once a Grey Warden archive in the Wilds. It was abandoned long ago when we could no longer afford such remote outposts. It has come to our attention that some scrolls have been left behind, sealed with magic to protect them. Alistair, I want you to find them and bring them back. The scrolls contain old treaties promising the Grey Wardens support. Treaties that may become valuable in the days to come.

"Watch over your charges, Alistair," Duncan instructed him. "Return quickly and safely. May the Maker watch over your path. I will see you all when you return." With that, Duncan turned away from the group, entering the tent.

Alistair led the recruits to the gate that separated the camp from the Wilds. "Grey Wardens are able to sense darkspawn," he informed them. "I will be able to warn you if the creatures come close, but there are other creatures in the Wilds. We need to be careful and alert. I would like to be back before nightfall, so we must move quickly."

They entered the Wilds, Alistair in front with Ser Jory. They walked for nearly an hour before they encountered any trouble: a small group of darkspawn and blighted wolves. Ginny was impressed to see how good Sirius was with a sword. He used both hands to wield a large sword, and he moved quickly and with a grace that Ginny would have never expected of him. Likewise with Alistair. Alistair was so bulky that it was hard to picture him being light on his feet. But he fought with a sword and shield, his movements fluid and precise. The darkspawn soon lay dead at their feet, and Ginny walked to each of the men to heal any wounds. Although she had not focused on healing at the Tower, Wynne made sure that she had basic healing knowledge.

Alistair showed them how to collect the darkspawn blood without getting it on themselves. Darkspawn blood was poison, and caused a disease called blight sickness. He also explained to them the different types of darkspawn.

"These little ones are called genlocks," he informed them. "The taller ones are hurlocks. These are the most common darkspawn, and most likely the only ones we will see in the Wilds today."

They encountered a few more darkspawn stragglers on their way to the ruined outpost. The largest group they fought was next to the ruins. This particular group was led by an emissary, and Ginny had to run away from Alistair as he used his Templar abilities to stop the emissary from using its spells.

They entered the ruins and searched for the treaties. As Ginny was kneeling at a broken chest, looking through the remains, she heard a woman's voice.

"Well, well, what have we here?" A woman with black hair and yellow eyes stepped out from behind a pillar. "Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned? Or merely an intruder come into these darkspawn filled Wilds of mine in search of easy prey?" She walked up to Ginny. "What say you, hmm? Scavenger or intruder?"

"Neither," Ginny answered her. "The contents of that chest belong to the Grey Wardens."

The woman walked around her. "I have watched your progress for some time. Where do they go, I wonder. Why are they here? And now you disturb ashes none have touched for so long. Why is that?"

"Don't answer her," said Alistair. "She looks Chasind. And that means there may be others nearby."

"You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?" asked the woman.

"Yes," Alistair said slowly. "Swooping is bad."

"She's a witch of the wilds, she is!" Daveth exclaimed suddenly. He was nervous and fidgety, which surprised Ginny. He had fought bravely, and was extremely good with a bow and arrows. "She'll turn us into toads!"

"Witch of the Wilds?" The woman scoffed. "Such idle fancies, those legends. Have you no mind of your own?" She turned to Ginny. "You there. Women do not frighten like little boys. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine."

"I'm Ginny," she replied. "Pleased to meet you."

"Now that is a proper civil greeting, even here in the Wilds," the woman sounded impressed, like she never expected manners out of any of them. "You may call me Morrigan. Shall I guess your purpose? You sought something in that chest, something that is here no longer?"

"Here no longer?" said Alistair. "You stole them, didn't you? You're some kind of sneaky witch thief."

"How very eloquent," Morrigan said sarcastically. "How does one steal from dead men?"

"Quite easily it seems. Those documents are Grey Warden property and I suggest you return them at once."

"I will not, for 'twas not I who removed them. Invoke a name that means nothing here any longer, if you wish. I am not threatened."

Ginny stepped between Morrigan and Alistair, hoping to avoid a fight. "Do you know who took them, Morrigan?"

"'Twas my mother in fact."

"Can you please take us to her?"

Morrigan considered her for a moment. "Hmm, there is a sensible request. I like you."

"I'd be careful," Alistair muttered in her ear. "First, it's 'I like you', but then zap! Frog time."

"She'll put us all in a pot, she will! Just you watch!" Daveth exclaimed.

"If the pot is warmer than these forests, it'll be a nice change," said Sirius.

Morrigan began moving away from the ruins. "Follow me then, if it pleases you."

Morrigan took them a short distance away, to where a small hut was standing next to a swamp. An old woman with grey hair was waiting for them outside.

"Greetings, Mother," said Morrigan, going to stand behind the old woman. "I bring before you five grey wardens who-"

"I see them, girl," the old woman interrupted."Hmm, much as I expected."

"Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?" asked Alistair.

"You are required to do nothing, least of all believe," said the woman. "Shut one's eyes tight or open one's arms wide. Either way one's a fool."

"She's a witch of the wilds, I tell you!" Daveth insisted. "We shouldn't be talking to her."

Sirius wacked him in the head. "Quiet Daveth. If she's really a witch, do you want to make her mad?"

The old woman ignored them. "Believe what you will. And what of you?" she said, turning to Ginny. "Does your woman's mind give you a different viewpoint or do you believe as the boys do?"

Ginny thought about everything that had happened, not just today, but since her arrival in Thedas. "I'm not sure what to believe," she admitted.

"A statement that possesses more wisdom than it implies. Be always aware, or is it oblivious? I can never remember. So much about you is uncertain, and yet I believe. Do I? Why it seems I do!"

"So this is the dreaded witch of the Wilds?" asked Alistair, clearly unimpressed.

"Witch of the Wilds, eh? Morrigan must have told you that. She fancies such tales, though she would never admit it. Oh, how she dances under the moon," the woman laughed.

Morrigan huffed, annoyed. "They did not come here to listen to your wild tales, Mother."

"True, they came for their treaties yes?" The old woman pulled out a pile of parchments from her belt pouch. "And before you begin barking, your precious seal wore off long ago. I have protected these for some time now."

"You… oh you protected them?" asked Alistair.

"And why not? Take them to your Grey Wardens. And tell them this blight's threat is greater than they realize."

"Thank you for returning these," said Ginny, taking the documents. "They are very important to the Wardens."

"Such manners!" the woman exclaimed. "And always in the last place you look. Like stockings." She laughed again. "Oh, do not mind me. You have what you came for."

"Time for you to go, then," Morrigan said, clearly trying to rush them out.

"Do not be ridiculous, girl!" Her mother stopped her. "These are your guests."

Morrigan sighed. "Oh, very well. I will show you out of the woods. Follow me."

They followed Morrigan in silence. It seemed like the girl knew many shortcuts around the Wilds. They arrived back at camp in half the time it had taken them to get to her hut. Ginny turned around to thank her, but Morrigan had vanished into the woods.

Alistair and the recruits walked towards the Grey Warden tent. Duncan was waiting for them outside, alerted by a guard at the gate of their arrival.

"So you return from the Wilds," he said. "Have you been successful?"

"We have," answered Sirius.

"Good. I've had the Circle mages preparing. With the blood you've retrieved, we can begin the Joining immediately," Duncan told them.

"There was a woman at the tower and her mother had the scrolls," said Sirius. "They were both very odd."

"Were they wilder folk?"

"I don't think so," said Alistair. "They might be apostates."

"I know you were once a Templar, Alistair," Duncan said. "But Chantry business is not ours. We have the scrolls. Let us focus on the Joining."

"What is this ritual about?" Ginny asked, truly curious and more than a little bit afraid. Such mystery around the ritual surely meant that it was dangerous.

"I will not lie," answered Duncan. "We Grey Wardens pay a heavy price to become what we are. Fate may decree that you pay that price now rather than later. If only such secrecy were unnecessary and all understood the necessity of such sacrifice. Sadly that will never be so."

"Let's go, then!" exclaimed Daveth. "I'm anxious to see this Joining, now!"

"Then let us begin. Alistair, take them to the old temple."

They walked in silence to the temple. Ginny thought perhaps the Joining would be similar to the Harrowing. A test of their abilities, perhaps. It worried her that the Joining was potentially deadly, like the Harrowing. But if she had passed her Harrowing, then she would also pass the Joining.

"The more I hear about this Joining, the less I like it," Ser Jory complained.

"Maker's breath, are you blubbering again?" asked Daveth.

"Why all these damned tests? Haven't I earned my place?" Jory demanded.

"Maybe it's tradition," shrugged Sirius. "Maybe they are just trying to annoy you."

"I only know that my wife is in Highever with a child on the way," Ser Jory told them. "If they had warned me… it just doesn't seem fair."

"Would you have come if they'd warned you?" asked Daveth. "Maybe that's why they don't. The Wardens do what they must, right?"

"Including sacrificing us," muttered Jory.

"I'd sacrifice a lot more if it meant ending the blight! You saw those darkspawn, ser knight. Wouldn't you die to protect your pretty wife from them? Maybe you'll die. Maybe we'll all die. But if nobody stops the darkspawn, we'll die for sure."

"I've just never faced a foe I could not engage with my blade!"

Duncan and Alistair came in at that moment, ending all conversation between the recruits. "At last we come to the joining," Duncan began. "The Grey Wardens were founded during the first blight, when humanity stood at the verge of annihilation. So it was that the first Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered their taint."

"We are going to drink the blood of those creatures?" Jory sounded absolutely disgusted. Ginny felt a bit nauseous, and Sirius and Daveth, though more restrained than Jory, didn't look very happy about it either.

"As the first Grey Wardens did before us," Duncan answered. "As we did before you. This is the source of our power and our victory."

"Those who survive the Joining will become immune to the taint," Alistair explained. "We can sense it in the darkspawn and use it to slay the archdemon."

"Those who survive?" asked Sirius.

"Not all who drink the blood will survive," said Duncan. "And those who do will be forever changed. This is why the Joining is a secret. It is the price we pay. We speak only a few words prior to the Joining, but these words have been said since the first. Alistair, if you would?"

Alistair's voice was solemn. "Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten and that one day, we shall join you."

Duncan held a silver chalice out. "Daveth, step forward."

There was no hesitation in Daveth. He grabbed the chalice and drank some of the potion within it. For a second, one very hopeful second, it seemed as though Daveth would be okay. But then, he started coughing and sputtering. He brought his hands up to his throat; his eyes had gone completely white. It was terrifying, seeing the agony in his face. He fell to his knees, screaming. And then he collapsed. He lay still on the ground. Ginny looked away.

"Maker's breath!" Jory exclaimed.

"I am sorry, Daveth," Duncan said. "Step forward, Jory."

"B-but I have a wife, a child! Had I known-"Jory stuttered.

"There is no turning back."

"No!" Jory drew his sword. "You ask too much. There is no glory in this."

Sirius made to draw his sword as well, though Ginny didn't know if it was to help Jory or to help Duncan. Alistair put a hand on his arm and shook his hand. Duncan drew a short dagger. As Jory was about to swing his sword at him, Duncan snuck underneath his arm and plunged the dagger into his chest.

"But the Joining is not yet complete," Duncan said, lifting the chalice and offering it to Sirius. Sirius looked torn, and his hesitation made Ginny nervous. Would Duncan kill him as he had killed Jory? At least if he drank from the chalice, there was a chance he would live.

Sirius seemed to have come to that same realization, and he grabbed the chalice and drank. He coughed and fell back, and Ginny screamed. Alistair knelt down beside Sirius, who had passed out. "He lives," he said.

Ginny's relief was short-lived. Duncan walked towards her with the chalice. "You are called upon to submit yourself to the taint for the greater good. From this moment forth you are a Grey Warden."

Ginny held back a sob. She hadn't realized she was crying. She took the chalice with shaking hands, and drank the potion. It tasted awful, and Ginny thought that she would vomit. It burned as it slowly made its way down her throat. She choked as an overwhelming pain radiated throughout her body. There was darkness all around her, and she could hardly make out the large figure in front of her. When it finally came into focus, she screamed again. It was a dragon, a large dragon with green eyes. It looked at her and growled.

And then Ginny knew no more.

When she came to, she saw Alistair hovering over her. "Are you feeling ok?" he asked.

"Not really," Ginny rasped. She felt like her head was split in two. She accepted Alistair's hand, and he helped her get up. She saw Duncan hovering over Sirius, who was waking up.

"Two more deaths. In my Joining, only one of us died. But it was horrible. I'm glad you two have made it," Alistair told her. "Did you have dreams? I had terrible dreams after my Joining.

"Such dreams come when you begin to sense the darkspawn, as we all do," Duncan told them. "That and many other things can be explained in the months to come."

"No, they will be explained now," said Sirius.

"There is no time right now," said Duncan.

"Then we are going to make the time!" Sirius exclaimed. He was absolutely furious. "Ginny and I could have died right now, the same Daveth did! You killed a good man right in front of us for no reason other than he didn't want to do what you told him! You are going to make the time right now and explain the side effects of drinking the taint!"

For a moment, it looked as though Duncan would refuse him. "After you go through your Joining," he began. "Our appetite increases, as does our stamina. We can tap into the darkspawn 'group mind', which is how we can sense them, but it gives us awful nightmares. In time, you will learn to block out these dreams, although it is harder during a Blight. After a certain amount of time, thirty years or so, the nightmares will come back worse than they ever were. You will not able to block those out. We call this time the Calling. Your body will not able to stand the taint forever. Traditionally, Grey Wardens going through their Calling will go down to the Deep Roads and fight darkspawn until they are overwhelmed. If a Warden ignores his calling, he will slowly turn into a ghoul, and will die a painful death, not unlike the blight sickness."

The rest of Duncan's speech didn't fully register, just the part where he told them they would die in approximately thirty years. Thirty years. She had been given a life sentence, and at the end of the thirty years, she'd be expected to die fighting darkspawn in tunnels underneath the earth.

Sirius looked murderous. Alistair had to step between him and Duncan, for Sirius looked ready to launch himself at the Commander. Ginny didn't attempt to him. She felt like she could help with a few fireballs thrown at Duncan's head. She felt betrayed. She was sure Sirius felt the same. Just when they found each other, when there was a renewed hope that they could find their way home together, they are given thirty years to life. It was cruel.

"Take some time, to process what I have said," Duncan said. His hand kept twitching toward his blade. "When you are ready, Ginevra, I'd like you to accompany me to a meeting with the King."

"The king? Why do you want me to go for that?" Ginny asked.

"The king is discussing strategy for the upcoming battle. He has requested your presence. I'm not sure why." Duncan left the temple in a hurry. Sirius's angry eyes followed him.

"Before I forget," Alistair said. "There is one last part to your Joining. We take some of that blood and put it in a pendant. Something to remind us of those who didn't make it this far."

Sirius took his angrily, and then stomped away. Ginny meant to follow him, but Alistair stopped her. "Leave him. He needs some time to think. I was furious after I found out too. It took me some time to come to terms with it." Ginny fastened her pendant around her neck. She didn't feel like she could ever come to terms with it, as Alistair said.

"You should go, find out what King Cailan needs you for," Alistair reminded her. Ginny nodded weakly. She left him at the old temple and made her way down the ramp. She could hear the king and some of his advisors arguing as she got closer to the meeting point.

"Loghain, my decision is final," Cailan was saying. "I will stand by the Grey Wardens in this assault."

"You risk too much, Cailan!" Teyrn Loghain argued. "The darkspawn horde is too dangerous for you to be playing hero on the frontlines."

"If that's the case, then we should wait for the Orlesian forces to join us after all."

"I must repeat my protest at this foolish notion that we need the Orleasians to defend ourselves!"

"It is not a fool notion!" Cailan was defensive, which troubled Ginny. Most of Ferelden still remembered all too vividly what life was like under the Orleasians's harsh rule. "Our arguments with Orlais are a thing of the past. And you will remember who is king."

"How fortunate Maric did not live to see his son ready to hand Ferelden over to those who enslaved us for a century!" sneered Loghain.

"I beg your pardon, your majesty," interrupted Ginny. "But wouldn't it actually be easier to call for reinforcements from the Free Marches? The trip would actually be a much shorter one from there than from Val Royeaux, would it not? The army they would send would be smaller, but at least there would be no fear that they would overstay their welcome."

Loghain said nothing, but looked at her approvingly.

"The Free Marches are not exactly stable," said Cailan, frowning. "They might not heed our calls for help. And you are right that the force they would send would be smaller than the Orleasian force. Much too small to make a difference. No, we will have to do this on our own then. Our current forces must suffice." The king turned to Duncan, who was also frowning at her. "Duncan, are your men ready for battle?"

"They are, your majesty," Duncan responded.

"And I understand, Mage Ginevra, that congratulations are in order," the king said, turning back to her. Every Grey Warden is needed now. You should be honored to join their ranks."

"Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan!" Loghain thundered. "We must attend to reality."

Cailan sighed. "Fine. Speak your strategy. The Grey Wardens and I will draw the darkspawn into charging our lines and then-"

"You will alert the tower to light the beacon signaling my men to charge from cover," Loghain continued.

"To flank the darkspawn, I remember," Cailan turned to the map on the large table. "This is the Tower of Ishal, in the ruins, yes? Who shall light the beacon?"

"I have a few men stationed there. It is not a dangerous task, but it is vital."

"Then we should send our best." Cailan turned to Duncan. "Send Alistair and the two new Grey Wardens to make sure it's done."

"You rely on these Grey Wardens too much. Is that truly wise?"

"Enough of your conspiracy theories, Loghain," Cailan demanded. "Grey Wardens battle the Blight. No matter where they are from."

"Your majesty, you should consider the possibility of the archdemon appearing," Duncan said.

"There have been no signs of dragons in the wilds," Loghain told him.

"Isn't that what your men are here for, Duncan?" Cailan asked him, frowning.

"I- yes your majesty," Duncan responded.

"Your majesty," said a familiar voice. Ginny looked up to see Uldred, her teacher, standing at the other end of the table. "The tower and its beacon are unnecessary. The Circle of Magi-"

"We will not trust any lives with your spells, mage!" said the Revered Mother, who was standing with two Templars. "Save them for the darkspawn!"

"Enough!" Loghain said, raising his voice. "This plan will suffice. The Grey Wardens will light the beacon."

"Thank you, Loghain," said Cailan. "I cannot wait for that glorious moment. The Grey Wardens battle beside the king of Ferelden to stem the tide of evil!"

Duncan, sensing that the strategy meeting was over, told Ginny to follow him. She had hoped for a chance to talk to Uldred. But Duncan's serious and tense demeanor made her follow him. They made their way to the Grey Warden tent, where they found Alistair and Sirius talking in hushed voices by the fire.

"Alistair, Sirius, we need to talk. There has been a change in plans," Duncan told them. Once they were all settled in front of the fire, Duncan said, "You three will go to the Tower of Ishal and ensure the beacon is lit."

"What? I won't be in the battle?" asked Alistair.

"This is by the king's personal request, Alistair. If the beacon is not lit, Teyrn Loghain's men won't know when to charge."

"So he needs three Grey Wardens standing up there holding the torch? Just in case, right?"

"If King Cailan wishes Grey Wardens to ensure the beacon is lit, then Grey Wardens will be there. We must do whatever it takes to destroy the darkspawn, exciting or no."

Alistair sighed. "I get it, I get it. Just so you know if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dance the remigold, I'm drawing the line. Darkspawn or no."

"I think I'd like to see that," Ginny said, smiling slightly at Alistair.

"For you, maybe," said Alistair. "But it'd have to be a very pretty dress."

"Would make for a good distraction," Sirius added.

Alistair laughed. "What, me shimmying down the line? Yeah, we can kill the darkspawn while they're all falling over laughing."

Duncan pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Ginny thought it would be better to bring the conversation back on topic. "What if the archdemon appears?" she asked.

"We soil our drawer, that's what," said Alistair.

"If it does, leave it to us," said Duncan. "I want no heroics from any of you. Now go prepare."

"Duncan, may the Maker watch over you," Alistair said.

"May the Maker watch over us all." Duncan responded.

A/N: I had a lot of trouble writing this chapter, and I ended up using the dialogue straight from the game, which I had not wanted to use so much. Thanks for your reviews!


	5. Chapter 5: Defeat and Regrouping

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews! They have made me want to post the next chapter sooner than anticipated! To one of my guest reviewers, who asked if Elissa will make an appearance again: The Cousland family will be mentioned in upcoming chapters, and Elissa and Fergus will be making appearances. I will not say any more than that, since I don't want to give the plot away.

A/N: I apologize if you when you clicked to read Chapter 5, Chapter 2 popped up. I made a mistake while uploading the new chapter.

Chapter 5: Defeat and Regrouping

Ginny moaned. Her head felt like it would explode. Her body ached and felt sore. She opened her eyes. The light was so bright, it made her head throb.

"Ah, your eyes finally open. Mother should be pleased."

Ginny squinted towards the voice. She could make out the shape of a slender woman, but her head hurt too much for her to focus on the woman. "What happened?" she croaked out. Her throat was dry and it hurt to speak.

"You received a rather dangerous blow to the head," the woman continued. She put a cup to Ginny's mouth. "Here, drink this. It will help with the pain."

Relief was immediate. Ginny was able to sit up and opened her eyes completely, taking in her surroundings. She was a one room hut, and the witch they had met in the Wilds, Morrigan, was there.

"Do you remember anything about the battle last night?" Morrigan asked her.

Ginny tried hard to recall all that had happened. She remembered getting to the Tower of Ishal with Alistair and Sirius only to find it overrun by darkspawn. They had had to fight their way up to the top of the tower to light the beacon. They managed to light it before it they were overwhelmed by darkspawn. She couldn't remember anything after that.

"Mother managed to save you and your friends, though 'twas a close call," said Morrigan. "You live. So do the other two Wardens who were with you. However, the army at Ostagar was decimated. The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. The darkspawn won this battle."

Ginny was in shock. Why would Teyrn Loghain abandon the field? Were Duncan and the King really dead, or had they managed to escape? What about her mentors, Wynne and Uldred? They had been there to help the army.

"Mother asked to see you when you awoke," continued Morrigan. "She's outside by the fire with your friends."

"Thank you for helping us, Morrigan," said Ginny. She allowed Morrigan to help her into a standing position, and slowly put her robes on.

"I- your welcome, but it was not I who rescued you. Mother did most of the work."

Ginny nodded. She felt numb. They had fought so hard to make it to the top of the tower, and it had been for nothing. Loghain quit the field. He left the King's army to face the darkspawn alone. And they lost. She didn't know what to feel. She left the hut and walked outside to see Sirius and Alistair standing with Morrigan's mother.

"See? Here is your fellow Grey Warden. You worry too much," said the old woman.

"You- you are alive. I thought you were dead for sure," said Alistair. Sirius grabbed Ginny and hugged her tightly.

"I'm not dead, thanks to Morrigan and her mother," Ginny said.

Sirius turned to the old woman. "Yes, you saved our lives. If it were not for you coming to our aid- I don't even want to think of what could have happened."

"It seems rather obvious to me," she replied. "You would have died."

"But what do we call you? You never told us your name," Alistair asked her.

"Names are pretty, but useless," she answered. "I have been called many names by many different people. The Chasind folk call me Flemeth."

Ginny ignored Alistair's shocked expression. She had heard of the legend of the Witch of the Wilds, Flemeth. They owed this woman their lives, and she would not offend her. "Thank you, Flemeth," said Ginny.

"Why didn't you save Duncan? Or the king?" demanded Alistair.

"I am sorry, but your grief must come later. In the dark shadows, before you take vengeance, as my mother once said," said Flemeth. "Duty must come now."

Sirius snorted. "Grey Warden duty… I say we leave all this and go home."

Flemeth raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Alistair, however, rounded on Sirius. "How can you say that? It's up to the Grey Wardens to save all of Thedas from the darkspawn threat! You would go home and leave everyone to die when the Blight tears up Ferelden?"

"Ferelden is already torn up," replied Sirius. "Teyrn Loghain's actions are sure to send the country into a civil war. And the Wardens can't defeat the darkspawn horde alone, especially now that there are only three of us. It's a hopeless task. Let's send word to the Wardens of Orlais and let them handle it."

"Alistair is right, Sirius," said Ginny, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Ferelden needs us to be Wardens and fulfill our duty. It might seem like a hopeless task, but it's not impossible." She went back toward the hut, where the gear they had carried into the Tower of Ishal lay hapzardly next to the door. She searched her pack, grabbing a pile of parchments that lay at the bottom, and made her way back toward Flemeth and Sirius.

"We have these," she said, showing Sirius the documents. "The treaties that Duncan made us go into the Wilds to get. We can use these to get help against the Blight. There are treaties with the mages, the dwarves and the Dalish."

Alistair breathed a sigh of relief. "And Duncan said that Orlais would send Wardens. And Arl Eamon of Redcliffe wasn't at Ostagar, so he still has all his soldiers… He was the king's uncle, but he is an honorable man, and he would help us fight the Blight."

Flemeth chuckled. "I may be old, but dwarves, elves, mages, this Arl Eamon, and who knows what else… That sounds like an army to me."

"So can we do this? Go to Redcliffe and other places and build an army? We are seriously considering this?" asked Ginny.

Sirius frowned and crossed his arms across his chest, but said nothing. Alistair nodded and gave her a tight smile.

"So you are set then? Ready to be Grey Wardens?" asked Flemeth.

"Yes. Thank you for everything, Flemeth."

"No, no, thank you. You are the Grey Wardens here, not I," Flemeth said. "Now, before you go, there is one more thing I can offer you."

Morrigan stepped out of the hut. "The stew is bubbling, Mother dear. Shall we have three guests for the eve or none?"

"The Grey Wardens will be leaving shortly girl, and you will be joining them," Flemeth informed her.

"Such a shame- what?"

"You heard me, girl. The last time I looked you had ears," laughed Flemeth.

"Thank you, but if Morrigan doesn't want to join us-" Ginny said.

"Nonsense. Her spells will be useful to you," Flemeth insisted.

"Have I no say in this?" Morrigan asked angrily.

"You have been itching to get out of the Wilds for years. Here is your chance," Flemeth told her. "As for you Wardens, consider this repayment for saving your lives."

"Not to look a gift horse in the mouth," said Alistair. "But won't this add to our problems? Out of the wilds, she's an apostate."

"If you do not wish help from us illegal mages, young man, perhaps I should have left you on that tower."

"Point taken."

Morrigan sighed. "Mother, this is not how I wanted this. I am not ready."

"You must be ready," Flemeth said firmly. "Alone these three must unite Ferelden against the darkspawn. They need you, Morrigan. Without you, they will surely fail and all will perish under the blight. Even I."

"I understand," Morrigan relented.

Flemeth turned to them. "And you, Wardens. Do you understand? I give you that which I value above all in this world. I do this because you must succeed."

"She won't come to harm with us," Sirius promised her.

"Allow me to get my things, if you please." Morrigan walked back toward the hut.

Flemeth turned to Ginny. "Come with me, girl."

Ginny felt Sirius's grip tighten around her shoulder. "It's all right," she told him. Despite all the stories she had read about Flemeth, she was convinced the old witch would not have gone through the trouble of saving their lives just to slay them here. She followed Flemeth into the hut, where Morrigan was gathering her things.

"I know who are you, and where you are from, Ginevra Weasley," said Flemeth. Ginny felt a chill at hearing her full name leaving Flemeth's lips. Flemeth noticed, and she chuckled. "You are a Grey Warden now. Your time is limited. And I'm sure you are eager to spend that time finding your way home."

Ginny was silent. Flemeth took that silence as a sign that she was right. "There is a way to for you to go home. You were close to finding it when you were at the Tower. Alas, the answer may not be there anymore."

"What are you talking about?" asked Ginny. "How can I get home? Tell me, please!"

"No. I will not tell you. You will find the way soon enough," said Flemeth. "But first, you are needed here. You are a Grey Warden now. You cannot hide from that. You must stay and battle the Blight with your fellow Wardens. You are needed to save Ferelden.

"Besides," continued the old witch. "What are you expecting to find when you finally get home? That you will be able to pick up where you left off? That life for your family and friends stopped and will not begin again until you get back? You know that they consider you dead, just as they consider Sirius dead. They have had to move past their grief and they have continued on with their lives."

"I know that!" said Ginny. "But that doesn't mean that I can't be a part of their lives anymore! That doesn't mean that they won't be happy to see me back again!"

Flemeth scoffed. "And have you considered that perhaps you arrived here, in this time and place, because it is your destiny? Your past may be back where your family is, but your future- Your future is here, in Ferelden. Your destiny is to be a Grey Warden, a great leader to a great order. Will you shy away from your destiny? Or will you embrace it?

"You will find your way back to your family," Flemeth said, smiling darkly. "But when you do, you might find that it is not the place you consider home any longer."

Ginny's heart was beating wildly. She was saved from responding to Flemeth by Morrigan, who lifted a pack and told her mother that she was ready. Flemeth led them both out of the hut without another word.

"I'm at your disposal, Grey Wardens," Morrigan said. "I suggest a village north of the Wilds as our first destination. 'Tis not far, and you will find much you need there. Or if you prefer, I shall simply be your silent guide. The choice is yours."

Ginny was still shaking from Flemeth's words, but turned to Morrigan and said, "No, I prefer you speak your mind."

Flemeth laughed. "You will regret saying that!"

"Dear, sweet Mother," Morrigan turned to her. "You are so kind to cast me out like this. How fondly I shall remember this moment! Farewell, Mother. Do not forget the stew on the fire. I would hate to return to a burned down hut."

"Ha, 'tis far more likely you will return to see this area, along with my hut, swallowed up by the Blight."

Morrigan was taken aback. "I- all I meant was-"

"Yes I know. Do try to have fun dear," said Flemeth.

Morrigan led the three Wardens away from Flemeth's hut and through the Wilds. The village was not far, only three days walking. It was an uncomfortable three days, however, as they had no supplies, no tents, no blankets, and no food. Morrigan was able to catch a few rabbits along the way, which Alistair attempted to cook. But with no cooking utensils and no way to season the rabbits, they were awful.

Morrigan was the only one with a bedroll, and it was too small to share, not that the Wardens thought she would anyway. Sirius and Alistair had no problems sleeping on the ground. They would both wake up frequently thanks to the Grey Warden nightmares. Ginny, however, was not able to sleep at all.

She would sit by the fire they built and stare at it while the others slept. She thought about how much had changed for her in such a short time. She had gone from Highever to Kinloch Hold. And then, she had been dragged into the middle of a war zone and had to drink tainted darkspawn blood. In thirty years, she would die because of it. And now she had to fight a Blight with only Alistair and Sirius as fellow Wardens.

Flemeth's words haunted her. Was she really meant to be here in Ferelden? Was she really supposed to be a leader among the Grey Wardens? Could she truly help end the Blight? Would she really find that her home was no longer back in the UK, with her family?

On her way to Ostagar with Duncan, she had allowed doubt to take over. The same doubt that she had had since her arrival but had refused to acknowledge. She had thought that perhaps there was no way she could find Sirius and get home. She had told herself she would be the best Warden she could be. But she had found Sirius. Did that mean that perhaps she should go home?

But now all the Wardens were gone. Daveth and Jory hadn't even become full Wardens, and they were dead. All the Wardens who had survived the Joining as she had, who had dedicated their lives to defeat the darkspawn, lay dead on the field at Ostagar. Didn't she owe it to them to be the best Warden she could be? Didn't they deserve for their sacrifices to have been worth it?

But Flemeth there was a way for her to get home. There was a way to get back, and the answer had been in the Tower at some point, but it may not be there anymore. How close had she gotten to the answer while she was there? Had she seen it, learned about it, but dismissed it as impossible? She desperately wanted to see her family. Her friends. The places she had loved: the Burrow, Hogwarts, Diagon Alley. Could she leave? Could she go home and forget Ferelden? Could she walk away from Ferelden, knowing that it may be consumed by the Blight? Knowing how many people would die, if not killed by the darkspawn, then by the awful Blight sickness caused by the taint? Knowing that Ferelden now depended on her and Sirius and Alistair as the last Grey Wardens?

There was a war going on in Britain too. Although, after two years, she didn't even know if the war had ended. If Harry or Voldemort had been victorious. She believed in Harry, and in the Order of the Phoenix. Most likely Voldemort was now truly dead and gone. Harry had needed only one more Horcrux. In the two years since her disappearance, Ginny was sure that Harry had found it and that he had confronted Voldemort and defeated him.

On the final night of their camp, Sirius had woken up after a nightmare and sat beside Ginny by the fire. They were silent for a long time, each absorbed in their thoughts. Finally Sirius turned to look at Ginny and asked, "What did Flemeth want to talk to you about?"

Ginny debated whether or not she should tell Sirius the truth. She knew if she did, Sirius might leave her and Alistair, or force her to leave Alistair to face the Blight alone while they went home. "I think Flemeth is crazy," she said. "She told me that it was up to me to lead you and Alistair against the Blight."

"Why you?"

"She said it was my destiny. But I think Alistair should be in the lead, as the most senior Warden here."

"Me? Lead?" said Alistair from where he was laying down. "No, no, no. You don't want me leading. Bad things happen when I lead. We get lost, people die, and next thing you know, I'm stranded somewhere without any pants!"

"Go back to sleep, Alistair!" laughed Ginny.

Once Alistair's snores could be heard again, Sirius turned to Ginny again. "Once we are in Lothering, we are leaving Alistair and Morrigan. Let them figure out this Blight thing. You and I are going to find a way home."

Ginny sighed. Even without knowing that Flemeth knew what they had to do, Sirius was willing to abandon all of Ferelden to the Blight. "I can't, Sirius."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I mean, I can't abandon Alistair to face the Blight by himself. I can't leave Ferelden knowing that it might be destroyed when I am one of the three people left who can save it. I can't leave Ferelden now. I won't stop you if you want to leave, but I'm not going anywhere."

Sirius had spent the day refusing to talk to Ginny. By the time they reached Lothering, Ginny was frustrated, and she took it out on the bandits blocking her way. All the anger, sadness, frustration- It all came out in a rather powerful electrical storm that left no survivors.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side," said Alistair, surveyed the damage.

"Damn, I didn't mean to kill them, just make them leave," said Ginny. She sighed, coming to a decision. "Check their pockets. Anything coin you can gather, let's use it to buy supply. Any weapons in good conditions, we will try to sell to get coin. Same for the armor, if you can get it off of the bodies."

"Are you serious?" asked Alistair incredulously.

"Unfortunately, yes," she answered. She was happy to see that both Morrigan and Sirius did as she told them without arguments. "I don't like any more than you do, but the fact is we need coin. We are going to need supplies, like food, healing poultices, tents, bedrolls. We will need upgraded equipment as well."

"These men are dead," said Morrigan, handing Ginny a small pouch of coins. "They won't need these things anymore."

Ginny got another small pouch of coins from Sirius, and they took two swords, a bow, a battle axe. Ginny hoped they could sell the weapons at a good price. They walked down a ramp and into the village. The place looked chaotic. There were tents set up, and Templars were running back and forth, attempting to keep the peace.

"There it is, Lothering," said Alistair. "Pretty as a painting."

"Ah, so you finally decided to rejoin us," taunted Morrigan. "Falling on your blade in grief was too much trouble, I take it?"

"Is my being upset so hard to understand? Have you never lost someone important to you? Just what would you do if your mother died?" asked Alistair.

"Before or after I stop laughing?"

"Right. Creepy. Forget I asked."

"Did you have something you need to talk about, Alistair?" asked Ginny.

"His navel, I suspect," Morrigan answered her, before Alistair could speak. "He's certainly been comtemplating it for long enough."

Alistair scoffed. "Oh, I get it. This is the part where we are shocked to discover you've never had a friend your entire life."

"I can be friendly when I desire to. Alas, desiring to be more intelligent does not make it so."

"All right, that's enough!" Ginny exclaimed. "This is going to be a very long trip if you two are going to argue the entire way. I suggest you find a way to get along, or just ignore each other."

"I apologize, Ginny," said Alistair.

"We need to focus," Ginny told them. "There's a lot to do. First we have to find a way to make some coin."

"The Lothering Chantry runs the Chanter's Board," said Sirius. "It won't pay much, but it's a start. And I know some people here in Lothering who might know of some other odd jobs around."

"All right, then. Sirius, why don't you and Morrigan go to see about selling these?" She handed him the bow she had been carrying. "And then go see about those odd jobs. And Alistair and I will take care of the jobs on the Chantry board. Morrigan, I want you to stay away from the Templars and the Chantry. Is there a tavern or pub we could meet at?"

"Dane's Refuge," answered Sirius. "Just across the stream."

"All right, let's meet there once we are done." The group split up. Ginny and Alistair made their way to the Chantry. They accepted all the jobs they could. It took a couple of hours to get rid of the bandits, the spiders, and the bears, and Ginny and Alistair were tired and sweaty. They made their way to the tavern, wanting a cold drink and a place to rest for a little while.

As soon as they entered Dane's Refuge, it was clear they would not be resting. A group of rowdy soldiers were in there, drinking. One of the men noticed them come in.

"Well, look what we have here," one of the soldiers said. "I think we've just been blessed."

"Uh oh, Loghain's men," whispered Alistair. "This can't be good."

"Didn't we spend all morning asking for a mage fitting this description? And everyone said they hadn't seen one?" another soldier asked.

"It seems we were lied to!" the first soldier exclaimed.

"Gentlemen, surely there is no need for trouble," a red haired woman in a Chantry robe came between the Wardens and the soldiers. "These are no doubt more poor souls seeking refuge."

"They are more than that!" One of the soldiers pushed her out of the way. "Now stay out of our way, sister. You protect these traitors, you'll get the same as them."

"What makes you think we are traitors?" asked Ginny.

"Teyrn Loghain claims the Grey Wardens betrayed the king," said the sister.

"What!" Alistair exclaimed.

"Enough talk! Take the Wardens into custody," ordered the leader of the soldiers. "Kill the sister and anyone else that gets in your way."

The soldiers came at them, and Ginny struggled to keep her fireballs and other spells small enough to not hurt the crowd in the tavern, but powerful enough to injure the soldiers. Alistair used his shield to bash the soldiers instead of swinging his sword- a smart move, since there was not enough room. The Chantry sister surprised them by pulling out two small daggers and joining the fight on their side. After a few intense minutes of fighting, the leader of the group held up his hands.

"All right, you've won! We surrender!" he yelled, throwing himself on his knees at Ginny's feet.

"Good, they've learned their lesson and we can all stop fighting now," said the sister.

Ginny wasn't sure that letting them go was a good idea, but she wanted no more deaths. Especially when the patrons of the tavern were watching the scene so closely. "Leave. And tell your master, Loghain, we all know what really happened at Ostagar. He's the real traitor here."

The soldier nodded, and Ginny and Alistair stepped aside as they rushed out. Some were nursing ugly looking burns.

The Chantry sister approached them. "I apologize for interfering, but I couldn't just sit by and not help."

"So I see," Ginny said. "Thank you for help."

"Let me introduce myself," the sister continued. "I am Leliana, one of the lay sisters of the Chantry here in Lothering. Or I was."

"Nice to meet you, Sister. I am Ginny, and this is my fellow Grey Warden, Alistair."

Leliana smiled brightly at them. "I know after what happened you'll need all the help you can get. That's why I'm coming along."

"What?"

"I know how this will sound, but I speak the truth. I had a vision, sent from the Maker. He wants me to follow you, to help you fight the Blight. The Maker wants us to protect his children. And to help all these poor souls here, suffering because of the darkspawn threat."

Ginny sighed. Though the sister had been able to hold her own against the soldiers, they had been drunk and not at their best. She doubted the sister had learned any skills they might need while she had been at the Chantry. "You want to protect the people? Why not stay? Help them here."

"But I-"

"I'm sorry, Sister Leliana. But my answer is no."

Leliana looked disappointed. "Fine. Just think about it some more. I will see you again before you leave Lothering."

Once Sister Leliana had left, Alistair and Ginny found a secluded table toward the back of the tavern. They ordered some drinks while they waited for Morrigan and Sirius to return. Ginny was afraid that Morrigan had been caught a Templar or something, and that Sirius had left. Perhaps it had not been a good idea to split up after all.

"Well, we've got a decent amount of coin," said Alistair, counting out the coins. "We will able to get a couple of tents and a bedroll for everyone."

"Good. Hopefully, Sirius and Morrigan have earned more money and we can go shopping and then get out of this town. I was thinking we could go to Redcliffe first."

"Really? I would have thought you'd want to go to the Circle first," said Alistair.

"Redcliffe is closer," she replied. "If Arl Eamon is a good a man as you say, he will help us. We'll need horses. We can't afford them now, but perhaps he'll let us borrow some. I refuse to walk all over Ferelden to enforce these treaties. It'll take too long and it'll make us too tired. And perhaps he'll feel generous enough to give us money, so we can keep resupplying as needed. I really would rather not rob dead bodies again."

Sirius and Morrigan came in not long after that. Ginny was relieved to see them both. They counted out the coins and were happy to see that they would have enough to make it to Redcliffe and to the Tower.

"There was a man, a qunari," began Morrigan. "He's been left in a cage to wait for the darkspawn to attack, with no way to defend himself."

"Morrigan, let it go," said Sirius. "We are not setting that thing free. He admitted that he killed a family of eight, including the children. There's no way we can let that beast run around free."

"The qunari is a proud and powerful creature!" Morrigan insisted. "Trapped as prey for the darkspawn. If you cannot see a use for him, I suggest releasing him for mercy's sake alone!"

"Mercy?" scoffed Alistair. "I wouldn't have expected that from you."

"I also suggest that Alistair take his place in the cage," said Morrigan.

"Enough!" Ginny had a feeling that the road to Redcliffe was going to seem a lot longer, since Morrigan and Alistair could not resist fighting each other. "I will go see the qunari, but I make you no promises, Morrigan."

"You wouldn't let the Chantry sister come with us," said Alistair. "Why would you bring the murderer along?"

"The sister has been living in a cloister," she replied. "Not exactly the best place for her to learn skills to fight the darkspawn, and soldiers, and bandits, and Maker knows what else!"

After they had finished their drinks and gotten some real food, they followed Morrigan to the cages where prisoners were held in Lothering. There was only one prisoner, a very large and intimidating hornless kossith. It was not his size that was intimidating, at least not to her. Hagrid was much bigger than this man. It was the kossith's demeanor, serious and threatening, that made him so terrifying.

Ginny was unsure how to approach the man. He was standing in his cell, solemn and reciting in a strange language. He stopped when he saw Morrigan and the Wardens make their way to his cell.

"Leave me in peace," the prisoner said in a deep, rumbling voice.

"Who are you?" asked Ginny.

The qunari's expression did not change, but the tone of his voice told Ginny he was annoyed. "A prisoner. I'm in a cage, am I not?"

"I meant, what is your name?"

"I am Sten of the Beresaad."

"I'm Ginny. It's nice to meet you."

"You mock me," the qunari replied. "Or you show manners I have not come to expect in your land. Though it matters little now. I will die soon enough. I suggest you leave me to my fate."

"How long have you been in this cage?"

"Twenty days now. I shouldn't last much longer. Another week at most." The qunari's stoic acceptance of this fact intrigued Ginny.

"Capturing you must have been difficult," Ginny stated.

"There is no difficulty in capturing prey that surrenders. I waited for several days until the knights arrived. "

Ginny nodded. So the qunari murdered an entire family, then allowed himself to be taken. It showed that he had remorse over the murders. "My companions tell me that you killed a family. Are you seeking atonement?"

"Death will be my atonement."

"You could help me end the Blight," said Ginny. "Saving an entire nation from the darkspawn is surely a better way to atone for your crimes than dying here."

"The Blight? Are you a Grey Warden, then?"

"Yes, so are two of my companions here," she pointed at Sirius and Alistair, standing a few steps behind her.

"Surprising. My people have heard legends of the Grey Wardens' strength and skill. Though I suppose not every legend is true. Set me free and I shall follow you against the Blight."

Ignoring the protests from Alistair and Sirius, who did not think having a murderer follow them was a good idea, Ginny used a very small amount of fire to melt the locks on the cage. The door swung open and Sten stepped out.

"And so it is done. I will follow you into battle. In doing so, I shall find my atonement," he said. "Let us move on. I am eager to be elsewhere."

"You need food and water first, and we need to get supplies," Ginny told him. She instructed Morrigan to go back to Dane's Refuge and bring Sten food, and then to wait for them by the exit to the Imperial Highway. She took Sirius and Alistair with her back to a merchant they had passed on the way in. They were able to buy three tents, one bedroll for each person, and a few other neccessities. The purse Ginny carried was considerably lighter after their purchases, and she hoped that they would not need to restock before reaching Redcliffe.

The three Wardens walked towards the Imperial Highway exit of Lothering. As they neared, Ginny felt that odd sensation when the darkspawn were near. Alistair and Sirius drew their swords and they rushed forwards.

Morrigan and Sten, and the Chantry sister they had met earlier were fighting a small group of darkspawn. Ginny sent healing spells toward Sten, worried about his state of health after having been in that cage for so long. Then she focused on darkspawn, sending as many offensive spells as she could think of. Soon, the darkspawn were laid dead around them.

"Oh, hello again," said Leliana. "So will you let me help you? Will you let me come?"

"Sister, where did you learn to fight like that?" asked Sirius, obviously impressed by the way she handled the twin blades she had with her.

"Many of us led colorful lives before joining the Chantry," she replied. She turned to Ginny. "It cannot be a coincidence that the Maker brought you here so soon after my vision. I am meant to follow you, to help you in every way I can. I enjoyed my life of peace in the cloister. I would not have left but for the Maker choosing me for this task. Please, let me help."

"Her plea seems wholehearted and even though she seems a bit strange, she does have skill," Alistair said. "I vote to let her come along."

"Alistair, she's one archdemon short of a blight," Ginny whispered to him.

"Yes," he agreed. "But she seems more, 'ooh, pretty colors,' than 'muahaha, I am Princess Stabbity! Stab, kill, kill.'"

Ginny sighed. "Fine. Welcome aboard, Sister."

Leliana let out a very girlish squeal, which made Ginny think that perhaps this wasn't the best idea. "Thank you! I won't let you down! I promise!"


	6. Chapter 6: Redcliffe

Chapter 6: Redcliffe

By the time they reached the outskirts of Redcliffe, they had recruited three more party members: two merchant dwarfs, and a large mabari. They had found the mabari just outside of Lothering, looking for Sirius. Sirius had helped the Kennelmaster at Ostagar heal the poor beast after its first owner died, and the dog imprinted on Sirius. He had been named Barkspawn, and had proved a formidable warrior. The dwarfs they had saved from a group of darkspawn. Bodhan Feddic and his son, Sandal, were so grateful they gave Ginny a huge discount on goods. They had soon worked out a deal where the merchants would travel with them for protection and they would give the group discounts on their goods and give them a place to store their gear in their cart.

Bodhan was also a wealth of information. He told them that the country was in tatters, with Loghain making enemies everywhere he went. The bannorn was a disaster. Led by Bann Teagan of Rainesfere, the banns had all raised objections to Loghain's regency, and they questioned his retreat at Ostagar. Loghain blamed the entire Ostagar massacre on the Grey Wardens, declaring them traitors and putting a bounty on the remaining Wardens. He also began to use force in the more restless areas of the country. And then he had appointed Arl Rendon Howe as his advisor, even though he had murdered the Couslands.

The news out of Highever hit Ginny harder than anything else. Bodhan told her that Arl Howe had waited for Lord Fergus to leave Highever with their army, and took advantage of Teyrn Cousland's trust and hospitality and attacked the castle during the night. The Teyrn and his wife had been murdered, their bodies found together in the larder of the castle. Perhaps most tragic was the senseless murder of Fergus's wife and son. The murders of Oriana and Oren Cousland had been particularly gruesome. Lord Fergus had been at Ostagar and was assumed dead as well. Only the Lady Elissa had been able to flee the castle, thanks to a Highever knight who had stayed behind, but she had badly injured. Rumor had it that Elissa was hiding in West Hills, but Loghain's soldiers had not found her.

Ginny had spent most of that night in her tent, crying inconsolably. Sirius and Leliana had attempted to talk to her, and Alistair in his own awkward way had tried to make her laugh. But Ginny could not stop sobbing at the loss of the Couslands. They had taken her in when she was hurt, helped her back to health, and then given her a job and a place to stay when she had nothing and no one to turn to. They had always made her feel like a part of their family. She owed them her life, and now they were gone. Teyrn Bryce and Teyrna Eleanor, who had reminded her so much of her own parents, kind, loving, caring. Lord Fergus, always laughing and joking. Oriana, who was just as mischievous as her husband. And little Oren, a sweet innocent little boy…

The journey took a lot longer than Ginny expected. The walking made everyone tired, and they had to camp earlier than expected. Once Bodhan and Sandal joined them, it was a bit easier to travel, since their heavier gear went in the cart, but they still were setting up camp before nightfall most days.

They took turns guarding the camp at night. Ginny made sure that there was always one warden during watch, and she made it a point to keep Morrigan and Alistair away from each other. Since Ginny had a hard time sleeping due to the nightmares, she ended up taking over a lot of the guard duty at night. She got to know her companions a lot better in this way. Well, all except Sten, who refused to give her more than one word answers.

Leliana was from Orlais, though her mother had been Ferelden. Ginny had reason to believe, based on some of the things Leliana had let slip, that she had been a bard. She changed the subject every time Ginny asked her how she had ended up at the Chantry. She found Leliana's love of shoes and all things girly to be endearing, and talking to her sometimes made her feel as though she were back in the Gryffindor Tower girls' dormitory. Morrigan had shared some stories of Flemeth. Ginny had been tempted to ask her if she knew what Flemeth did about how to get her home, but decided against it. She tried not to pressure Morrigan, as the apostate mage tended to be very guarded and retreated quickly if Ginny's questions became too personal. All Ginny had been able to get out of Sten was that he had lost his sword when he and his men were attacked by Lake Callenhad, on a mission to find out what the blight was.

Ginny enjoyed watch duty with Alistair most of all. He was funny and charming and a little bit awkward. He admitted he was eager to get to Redcliffe as he had been raised there. By Arl Eamon himself, though Ginny was not happy to hear that Alistair had been made to sleep in the stables and had been banished to the Chantry by Eamon's jealous, petty wife. She was amazed at how he made light of the whole thing, even though it was obvious that Alistair was more than a bit hurt by it.

Sirius was still furious with her. He avoided her as much as he could for the first few days of their march to Redcliffe. As they neared the arldom, however, Ginny thought it best to have it out with him and get it over with. She had the first watch of the night with Sten, and when Leliana and Sirius emerged from their tents to take over, Ginny sent Sten and Leliana back to bed.

They sat in silence for some time. Ginny sighed. "I had this whole speech prepared, you know. How I was going to get you to talk to me, to find out if you are going to leave at some point or if you plan on staying and fighting, or whatever."

"You don't have to worry," said Sirius. "I'm staying until the end of the Blight."

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to," she said. "You can leave. I personally wouldn't feel right about leaving. Not now, not like this. Not after seeing the darkspawn, and knowing how much damage they cause."

"If you want to fight in a war so badly, you can fight the war back home, against Voldemort!"

"Sirius, we've been here for so long! You've been here for what? Over four years! I've been here for two! For better or worse, the war against Voldemort is most likely over by now."

Sirius stood from the fallen log he had been sitting on. He started pacing in front of her. "We have an opportunity to get home! We should take advantage of it!"

"I don't understand," said Ginny, confused. "Didn't you just say you are staying here? Why are you still trying to convince me to leave?"

"If you stay, I have to stay!" Sirius exclaimed. "I can't just go back alone! Your family wants to see you! Harry will want to see you too! I can't show up and tell them all that I just left you here to fight darkspawn on your own."

"I won't be alone. Alistair is here with me."

"Oh, right! The Templar that's always making lovesick eyes at you! I'm sure Harry won't mind that at all!"

Ginny took a deep breath, trying to keep her temper in check. "Look, Sirius. Don't feel obligated to stay because of me. If you want to leave, then go. I will follow once the Blight is ended. I miss my family, and I want to go home, too. But I won't turn my back on people who are depending on us as Grey Wardens to save them. As for Harry, our relationship was already rocky when I fell through the veil. It wasn't going to last much longer. He's probably moved on and found someone else. Besides, Alistair is just a friend, and as a fellow Warden, he's our brother in arms."

Sirius didn't say anything as he stopped pacing and sat back down.

"I may know of a way home," Ginny admitted. Sirius turned to her, eyes flashing in anger. She held up her hand and continued, "Flemeth mentioned that there was a way. She may completely around the bend, but she is powerful, and she has a lot of knowledge. I suspect that Morrigan may know too. She was in the room when Flemeth told me that she knew how to get back."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Because I knew you'd want to go back to Flemeth's and make her talk. But Flemeth didn't even give me a hint. She said I'll find the way eventually. Sirius, I'm going to stay and I'm going to fight. And when it's all over here, then I will go back to Flemeth and get her to tell me. Or maybe I'll ask Morrigan. I will go home, but I can't now. I won't keep you if you wish to leave, but please don't ask me to."

Sirius rubbed his face wearily. "You swear to me that we are leaving after all this is over?"

Ginny nodded. "I swear."

"I have a feeling this is going to come back and bite me in the arse," he said. "But fine. We will stay and end the blight, though I have no idea how we are going to do that. And then we'll get Flemeth or Morrigan to talk, and we will go home and live happily ever after."

Ginny smiled slightly. "So you are staying?"

Sirius grunted. "Well, I can't leave Barkspawn behind," he said. "And you are right. It would be selfish of us to leave until the blight is over."

After that conversation, Sirius and Ginny were on friendly terms once more. He would usually walk with her and Alistair, Barkspawn at his side.

Overall, Ginny was feeling rather upbeat and optimistic as they entered Redcliffe. At least, until Alistair pulled her aside as they were taking one final rest before walking into the village.

"Look, before we go in, I need to tell you something," he began. "I don't even know where to begin… I- um- I probably should've told you this sooner."

"What's wrong?" asked Ginny.

"Remember how I told you that Arl Eamon had raised me? That my mother was a serving girl at the castle and he took me in?" Ginny nodded. Alistair took a deep breath. "Well, the reason he did that was because… well, my father. He was King Maric."

Ginny tried to wrap her head around the fact that Alistair was the king's brother. "So you are not just a bastard, but a royal bastard?"

Alistair was taken aback. "Yeah, I suppose that does make me… At any rate, it never really meant anything to me. I was a possible threat to Cailan's rule, so I was kept a secret. I wasn't allowed to talk about it with anyone. And everyone who knew either resented me for it or coddled me. Even Duncan kept me out of the fighting because of it."

"Why tell me now?"

"It just might come up while we are in Redcliffe, and I wanted you to hear about this from me. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I wasn't sure how to even bring it up. And I didn't want you to start treating me differently because of it."

"I understand," said Ginny. She smiled at him. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

"Besides my unholy obsession with fine cheeses and a minor obsession with my hair?" he joked. "No, that's it. Just the prince thing. Now, let's move on and I'll pretend you still think I'm some nobody who was too lucky to die with the rest of the Grey Wardens."

Ginny smiled. "As you command, my prince."

"Oh, lovely," sighed Alistair. "I'm going to regret this. Somehow, I just know it."

Ginny laughed and they joined their party. They entered Redcliffe three hours later. The village, Alistair told them, was across the bridge and down the cliffs, however, the castle entrance was not far past the bridge, so they would not have to walk down the rocky path to the village.

They were met at the bridge by a peasant with a bow and arrows. "I thought I saw travelers coming down the road, though I scarcely believed it. Have you come to help us?"

"What do you mean? Is there a problem?" Sirius asked.

"You mean- You don't know? Has nobody out there heard?"

"What's happening?" Ginny asked the man.

He took a shaky breath. "We are under attack! Everyone's been fighting… and dying. We've no army to defend us. No arl. And no king to send aid. So many have already died, and everyone is scared that they will be next."

"Who is in charge right now? Where's Arl Eamon?" asked Alistair.

"Bann Teagan is in charge. He's at the Chantry now," the man answered him. "We have no idea if the Arl is still alive!"

Ginny felt Alistair tense up next to her. She asked the peasant to lead them to Bann Teagan, and they went down the path to the Chantry. The village was in disarray. Clearly there had been many nights of fighting already. All the refugees were in the Chantry, the only safe place in all of Redcliffe.

Bann Teagan was giving orders to some of the villagers when they arrived. He thanked the man, Tomas, for bringing them to him and introduced himself. "Greetings, friends. My name is Teagan, Bann of Rainesfere, brother to the arl."

"I remember you, Bann Teagan," said Alistair. "Though the last time we met, I was a lot younger. And covered in mud."

"Covered in mud?" said Teagan. "Alistair? It is you, isn't it? You're alive!"

"Still alive, yes," Alistair confirmed. "Though I'm just as surprised as you are, believe me."

"Indeed. Loghain would have us believe all Grey Warden died along with my nephew, amongst other things."

"No, not all of us died," said Ginny.

"So you are a Grey Warden as well?" Teagan asked.

"Yes, as well as Sirius," Ginny motioned to Sirius, standing on her left. She introduced the others to the bann as well.

"A pleasure to meet you all," said Teagan. "I wish it were under better circumstances."

"Yes, we were told the village is under attack. What is happening?"

"The attack on the village started a few nights ago. Evil… things… emerged from the castle. We were able to push them back, but many perished during the assault."

"What evil things exactly?" asked Ginny.

"Decomposing corpses returning to life with a hunger for human flesh," answered Teagan. "They come every night, each time with greater numbers. With Cailan dead and Loghain on the throne, no one has responded to my urgent calls for help."

Ginny felt cold. It sounded like there was magic causing this, blood magic possibly, or a demon. They would need to find the mage causing this and stop him. "We will help you in any way we can, Bann Teagan," she told him.

The relief was evident on Teagan's face. "Thank you! Thank you- this means more to me than you can guess."

They left Bann Teagan giving orders to some of the men to prepare for that night's assault. Ginny found the mayor of the village, a man named Murdock, attempting to train some of the men. Ginny left Sten to help him, and then searched for anyone else who could fight. She recruited the owner of the tavern, a shifty elf that had admitted to being a spy for Loghain, and a dwarf and his two companions to help in the fight. Then she had to send Alistair and Leliana to the revered mother to find some amulets for Ser Perth, one of the few soldiers left in the village, and his men.

She told her group to rest, as they would be fighting a long battle later that night. They were given space in the Chantry to sleep for a bit, but Ginny tossed and turned in her pallet. She gave up trying to sleep and went outside. She found Alistair and Sirius by the Chantry board with Barkspawn.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Alistair asked.

Ginny shook her head. "No. I can't stop thinking about what is happening here. So much just doesn't make any sense!"

"Nothing about the last month has made any sense," muttered Sirius.

Ginny ignored him. "There is magic at work here. Powerful, possibly demonic magic. Corpses don't reanimate unless they are possessed by a demon. The arl falling ill, the spy from Loghain, all the soldiers of Redcliffe missing even though none were at Ostagar and demonic corpses…"

"Well, we found out from Bann Teagan that Arl Eamon was not at Ostagar because he became too sick to go," said Sirius.

"And the Redcliffe soldiers were sent by the Arlessa to find a cure for the Arl," continued Alistair. "The sacred ashes of Andraste."

"The ashes of- Is the woman mad?" raged Ginny. "She left the entire arldom unprotected because she sent the whole armed forces of Redcliffe to chase down a relic that might not even exist!"

"We have to just get through tonight," said Sirius. "Tomorrow, we can attempt to go into the castle somehow and find out what the arl's condition is, and find a more permanent solution to the village's problems."

She wasn't sure how they had survived, how they had all survived. They fought wave after wave of reanimated corpses. Morrigan and Ginny had been relentless with fire, Leliana shot arrow after arrow, and the men hacked through the corpses. The villagers fought with renewed vigor, inspired by the Grey Wardens, one of them a Redcliffe man himself, and their companions.

Early the next morning, a memorial service was held in honor of those who had fallen in battle defending the village. The solemn ceremony was short, but it still drew many tears from the villagers, and even some from Ginny and Leliana.

They met with Bann Teagan in the Chantry once more. He thanked them profusely for their help.

"Please, Bann Teagan," said Ginny, blushing. "Our help was not exactly selfless. We are looking for help to fight the Blight."

"Of course," said Bann Teagan. "But you went above and beyond for the village. You will always have our deepest gratitude."

Sirius cleared his throat. "There a lot of things to do. We shouldn't waste any more time. If Redcliffe doesn't have any soldiers to spare, then we need to move on. Does the village have any horses to spare that can buy?"

Ginny glared at him. "Slow down, Sirius. We are not finished here in Redcliffe."

"What do you mean?"

"The creatures came from the castle," explained Ginny. "And whatever it was sending them forth is most likely still at the castle. We can't leave until we have stopped it. Otherwise, the creatures might come back."

Teagan nodded. "You are correct. We must get into the castle and stop whatever it is. And we must get Eamon out of there. He is needed now more than ever."

"There are few things we need to do, and I hope I can count on your help," said Ginny. "And then we must find a way to infiltrate the castle."

Bann Teagan was more than willing to help. While Ginny and Alistair drafted letters to the Grey Warden commands in Jader, Ansburg, Antiva, and Nevarra and a message to the First Warden, Bann Teagan enlisted the fastest men and horses he could find to deliver them. Messages were also sent to Rainesfere, West Hills, and few other friendly banns calling for aid against the Blight. In the letter to West Hills, Ginny added a note for Elissa. She hoped that her friend was truly there, safe and sound.

Once the messages were sent, and they had all rested and eaten, Bann Teagan led them toward the windmill near the castle. "There is a secret entrance there," he explained. "I had planned to go in to the castle, but then the attacks began on the village. My signet ring will open the door and we will travel through a tunnel into the dungeons."

Ser Perth and his men, along with Sten and Morrigan, went to the castle gates to wait for the others to open them once they were inside. Teagan and Alistair, who knew the castle better than the rest of them, lead them down into the tunnels.

Ginny illuminated the tunnel with a fire ball in her hand. This was fortunate, for as soon as they entered the dungeons, they saw two corpses. The corpses were so focused in trying to get into one of the cells that they did not hear their approach, and Ginny was able to incinerate them with her fireball almost instantly.

"Hello? Who- Who is there?" A very familiar voice called from within the cell.

"Jowan?" asked Ginny. She ran to the cell and found her fellow mage.

Saying goodbye to her friends at the tower had been hard. Daylen had been proud that she had been selected to be a Warden; Neria had cried and sobbed but wished her well. But saying goodbye to Jowan… She knew that he was to be made Tranquil. Saying good bye to him had been the hardest. There was still a chance she would see Daylen and Neria. But she never thought she'd be able to see Jowan as Jowan rather than just a shadow of what he had been.

"Ginny? It is you!" Jowan exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," she answered, taking in his current state. Jowan's robes were torn and bloodied. He had bruises on his face and she could make out cuts and deeper wounds through the tears of his clothes. She began trying to open his cell door, but Jowan laid a hand on hers to stop her.

"No, Ginny," he said dejectedly. "I belong in here." He looked away from her. "I- I- I poisoned Arl Eamon."

His confession had an immediate effect on her party. Both Teagan and Alistair had made to move forward toward the mage, infuriated, with swords drawn. Leliana and Sirius had to step forward to hold them back.

"Get them away!" Ginny ordered Sirius and Leliana. They struggled to get the two men away from Jowan's cell. Leliana was whispering rapidly to them, asking them to allow Ginny a moment with her friend, and to allow him a chance to explain.

Ginny turned back to Jowan. "What did you do, Jowan?"

He couldn't look her in the eye. "I- Do you remember how I told you I was in love with someone? We had to keep it secret because she was a Chantry initiate. She found out they were going to make me Tranquil, and I couldn't go through that! To lose all that I am, all that I feel!"

Ginny understood. She had lived with the fear that she may be made Tranquil before her Harrowing. She had seen the Tranquil around the Tower. And she knew that Jowan wasn't lying, and that he would have become Tranquil.

"I- I convinced Neria to help me escape the Tower," Jowan continued. "She helped us break into the repository and destroy my phylactery. But it all went wrong. The Templars were waiting when we came up and they took Lily prisoner. I escaped using blood magic."

"Blood magic! Jowan, are you insane!"

"I know! I'm sorry! I – I had only dabbled, I thought knowing about it would make me a better mage! I didn't want to hurt anyone, honestly! I just wanted to be free! To live a quiet live, raise a family. I didn't want any of this."

"Jowan, what happened to Neria?"

Jowan sighed. "I don't know. I ran before I found out. I left her there to face the Templars alone."

Ginny closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about what could have happened to her friend. Knowing the Templars and the punishments given out for breaking the rules of the Tower, death would have been merciful for the elf.

"The Templars caught me, even without a phylactery," Jowan told her. "They took me to Denerim. And Teyrn Loghain's men intercepted us. Teyrn Loghain hired me to poison Arl Eamon. He told me that he would protect me from the Templars, and that I would be free from the Circle if I did it. He said that the Arl and his wife were working for the Orleasians to help them invade Ferelden again and that they must be stopped."

"So how did you get in the castle?"

"The Arl's son, Connor started showing signs of magic. The arlessa was terrified that he would be taken away to the Circle, so she was searching for an apostate to train him in secret. She hired me, and that's how I was able to get close enough to the arl."

"Oh, Jowan! Tell me that you are not responsible for this mess! Did you teach Connor blood magic?"

"No, never! And I only poisoned the arl, I didn't summon any demons! Connor knew very little of magic, and his powers weren't strong yet, but he could have possibly torn the Veil by mistake. I tried telling the arlessa this, but she didn't believe me. She had her guards torture me, and when I couldn't do anything, they left me in here to rot. And I deserve it! I deserve it for using blood magic, for dragging Neria into trouble, for lying to Lily, for poisoning the arl… Dear Maker! I've made so many mistakes! All I want is to make things right! But how can I after I damaged so many lives?"

Ginny held his hands in hers. "I'm sorry you've gone through all this, Jowan. Maybe there is a way to make it right. You can come with me, you can help us fix what went wrong here and then you can help us fight the Blight. Loghain doesn't have the power to keep the Templars from you. He lied to you, manipulated you to do what he wanted you to."

"I know that now. I'll do everything I can to rectify all my mistakes. I promise you, I won't fail again!"

Ginny turned back to her companions. "Jowan is coming with us."

"What!"

"Absolutely not!"

Ginny turned to Bann Teagan. "Jowan did poison your brother. But he did so on Loghain's orders. Loghain promised him that he would not be made Tranquil and that he could live free from the Circle if he killed Eamon. Obviously, it was a lie, a manipulation to make a terrified man do his dirty work. Jowan is sincerely regretful, and he wants to make things right. I'm bringing him along."

"No, Ginny, you can't do this!" Alistair argued. "He's a blood mage! He said so himself! He admitted to attempted murder-"

"Sten murdered an entire family," Ginny reminded him. "We brought him along to spare him from a terrible fate and for him to find atonement for his sins. Jowan is the same! He knows he has caused a lot of harm, but he wants to atone for his mistakes. Why should we offer that chance to one man but not another?"

Alistair said nothing more, but he looked furious. So did Teagan. But she had been unable to help Jowan once, when she knew that he faced the Rite of Tranquility. She had the power to help him now, and she would not turn her back on him. Neria would've wanted Ginny to help him.

"There's one more thing, Bann Teagan. And I expect you to tell me the truth," Ginny said. "Was your brother working with the Orlesians?"

"How can you even suggest that?" Alistair exclaimed.

"Loghain believes that Arl Eamon and his wife are working with the Orlesians. He told Jowan as much. If it is true, then us Grey Wardens need to retreat."

Alistair was turning red. "You want to leave Redcliffe in the hands of demons and blood mages?"

"No. We would work to get rid of the demons, but then we would have to leave immediately. We came seeking aid against the Blight, and I expect the arl to help us. But if we stay here too long, then we run the risk of other nobles believing that we are working with the Orlesians as well. And they might refuse to help the Wardens. There are still too many nobles who are afraid of the threat Orlais represents."

"Ginny-"

"Alistair, please!" Ginny begged him. "You can yell all you want later. But right now our only focus should be stopping the Blight, and we have to avoid anything that might hinder us. I need the truth, Bann Teagan. Was your brother working with the Orlesians?"

Teagan looked uncertain. "I don't know for certain. He never mentioned working with the Orlesians to me, but there have been rumors he favors an alliance with Orlais. His wife is Orlesian, so the rumors could have been born as a result of that. But he never openly supported Orlais, and he never told me that he was actively working for Orlais."

Ginny sighed. "Okay. Jowan is coming with us. We are going to go up to the hall. He said that the arl's son may have unknowingly torn the Veil to the Fade, causing the demons to enter. We need all the mages we can get if we have to fight demons, believe me. After that is settled, we will decide what to do."

Jowan was released from his cell, and Ginny healed his wounds as best as she could. They followed Teagan up towards the courtyard. Alistair made a point of staying as far away from Jowan and Ginny as he could.

Once in the courtyard, they had to fight against a number of walking corpses. Leliana was able to break away from the fight long enough to open the portcullis for Sten, Morrigan, and the Redcliffe soldiers waiting for entry. The walking corpses were dispatched with ease, but the Revenant that appeared took three soldiers and Ginny and Morrigan constantly throwing spells to bring it down.

The group entered the castle, staffs and swords drawn in case of attack. The entryway was quiet, but there was laughter coming from the main hall. Teagan and Ginny led the group inside to find an extraordinary sight: There were castle guards doing an incredible set of acrobatics, made more incredible by the fact that they were all wearing full armor. A boy of about ten sat on the dais, laughing and clapping. A woman stood beside him, a defeated look on her face.

The boy looked up at their entrance and snapped his fingers. The guards stopped their routines and went to stand by the wall. "Well, and what is this?" said the boy. His voice was unnatural, deep and hoarse, and with something of an echo to it. "Are you the ones who destroyed my fun by saving that pitiful village?"

"Connor!" Teagan exclaimed. "What has happened to you?"

The woman stepped forward. "Please, Teagan! You must help him! You must save Connor!"

"Quiet, you insolent woman!" Connor exclaimed. "I do not need any help! I have made a fair deal!"

"There is no such thing as a fair deal with a demon," said Ginny.

Connor laughed eerily. "Is that so? It sure seems like I have made a fair one: Father is alive. That's all the boy wanted. And all I wanted was the boy!"

"No! Please! Don't hurt him! Don't hurt my son!" exclaimed Isolde.

At her words, the hall fell into chaos. The castle guards began attacking the Wardens and their companions. Isolde's screams for Connor were heard over the noise of the swords clashing. While everyone was distracted, the demon Connor ran out of the hall.

The Redcliffe soldiers who had entered the castle with the Wardens were afraid of hurting the castle guards, who they knew and trained with. They were forced to defend themselves as the castle guards, enthralled by the demon, fought viciously and attempted to kill them.

Ginny threw a spell at the ground. A small earthquake shook the room, making a number of people in the hall fall to the ground. The shock of the quake seemed to break the castle guards free from the demon's thrall. It took a few more minutes for the mages to heal those who were injured, and for the castle guards to being thinking clearly again. Once they were all standing again, Ginny turned her attention to Bann Teagan and Arlessa Isolde, who had crumpled to the ground in a fit of tears.

"Isolde, please tell me what has happened here," said Teagan, kneeling next to her.

Isolde looked up. Her tear-filled eyes landed on Jowan and she screamed at him. "It was you! You did all this! You made that demon take my Connor! You tried to kill my husband! This is all your fault!"

"No, please, I didn't-"

"Quiet!" yelled Ginny. "Jowan has admitted to poisoning your husband, but the only person to blame for everything else that has happened here is you, Arlessa Isolde!"

"How dare you! Who in the blazes are you!"

"Isolde, please," said Teagan, attempting to calm his sister in law. "This is the Grey Warden who has helped to save the village."

"That does not give her the right to insult me!" Isolde yelled.

"You chose to hide the truth about Connor's magical abilities! You chose to hire a stranger to trust with such a delicate secret! You chose to send the Redcliffe soldiers away on a wild goose chase and leave the village and the entire arldom of Redcliffe unprotected during a Blight!" Ginny said. "Connor brought the demon himself. He wasn't powerful enough to resist it, and the demon seems to have promised him his father's life in exchange. Now he is to die, because you lied."

Isolde burst into tears again, covering her face with her hands. Sirius got closer to Ginny and whispered, "That was harsh, Gin," into her ear. Ginny gave him an annoyed look.

"It's the truth," she said. "I only know of one way to deal with an abomination. And that is to kill it."

Isolde's wails became louder. Everyone in the room looked away from the grieving mother.

"It's awful. I know Connor is a child," said Alistair. "But the child is not there anymore. It is only the demon. Ginny's right. There is only one thing we can do."

"Surely there must be something else!" exclaimed Leliana.

"Yeah, I'm not really looking forward to killing an innocent child," said Sirius.

Jowan stepped forward. "There is another way, but I am not sure that I should even bring it up."

"Please, if there's anything that might save the child, you must tell us," said Teagan.

"There is a way to send a mage into the Fade to battle the demon there," Jowan replied. "Usually it requires a large number of mages and a substantial quantity of lyrium, but I… I have blood magic."

Alistair grunted. "Blood magic? How can another wrong make things right here?"

"We don't enough mages or lyrium to send someone into the Fade," Ginny told him. "It's either killing Connor, or Jowan's ritual."

"There is a catch, and a big one at that," said Jowan. "The ritual would require all of someone's blood."

"A human sacrifice?" asked Teagan.

"Let it be my blood," Isolde said from her spot on the floor. "If someone has to die, it should be me, not my boy! He is innocent! He only wanted to help his father! He doesn't deserve to die!"

"No, Isolde, I can't let you do this!" Teagan argued. "What would Eamon say?"

"He would be grateful that Connor lived!"

There was no right answer here. Ginny closed her eyes, weighing all the options. They needed to leave Redcliffe as soon as they could. Staying here when there was suspicion that Eamon had been working with Orlais would make some of the other nobles that might help them defeat the Blight uncomfortable. They needed an army, a large army, one that Redcliffe could no longer afford. But she could not leave the demon in that child, not knowing what kind of damage it could cause to the arldom of Redcliffe. So it was down to deciding who's life to spare: the boy's or the mother's. She was not fond of the arlessa, not after all that had happened in Redcliffe, not after Alistair told her how the woman had behaved towards him. But if she wanted to sacrifice her life for her son to live, then so be it.

"Lady Isolde, are you sure you want to do this? You understand that there is no going back? That you will lose your life?" she asked the woman.

"I understand," Isolde wiped her tears and stood up, standing tall. "I will do anything for my son, including giving my life to save his."

"As you wish. Jowan, tell me what else you need for the ritual."

The hall was cleared. The soldiers were told to patrol the castle and to avoid Connor. Sten and Leliana stood guard at the doors. Jowan turned to Ginny.

"Are you ready to go into the Fade?" he asked her.

"No, she's not," Sirius interrupted. "Morrigan is going to the Fade."

"Have I no say in this?" exclaimed Morrigan.

"Sirius, it's fine," Ginny told him. "I've been to the Fade before."

"Yes, but before you weren't one of the only three Wardens left in Ferelden," answered Sirius. "If something does go wrong, and something happens to you, then it's only Alistair and I left to fight the Blight."

"But if something happens to me, who cares?" spat Morrigan. "I'm expendable, is that it?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Yes, you are," said Alistair.

Morrigan glared at him, but turned to Ginny. "If you ask me to go into the Fade, I shall. You are the commander, after all. I will only take orders from you, not these two-"

"Enough! Morrigan, they do have a point," admitted Ginny. "But I will not force you to go into the Fade to fight a demon against your will."

Morrigan threw another dirty look at Sirius and Alistair. "I shall go."

Isolde and Morrigan stepped into the middle of the room. Ginny bit her lip nervously as Jowan lifted his arms and cast the spell to end Isolde's life and propel Morrigan to the Fade.


End file.
